A different summer
by relat
Summary: After the battle at the Ministry of Magic the three friends are not spending the summer together at the burrow. When Mr. Granger had the idea to invite Ron and Harry instead, he didn't know what he was getting them into. And neither did Ron, Harry and Hermione.
1. Chapter 1: Plans

A cold autumn wind blew over the roofs of Mandrake Street. Five houses stood on each side of the street, that were ungently hit by the breeze. The residents hurried to close the windows, which had been opened before to enjoy the fresh air from outside.

Mandrake street was by no means a dodgy or strange area. Most of the people living there were families with an high income and social status, resulting that the visual appearance was much better than the London average. Beside the anomaly of having a cold autumn wind in summer, everything seemed to be normal that day. Everything but a barely lit room in one of the houses.  
It was already dark, so there was nothing odd about a turned on light. But it appeared to be non-electrical, almost as if somebody has lit a candle during a blackout.

Hermione Granger was lying on her bed, facing a plain grayish wall. Guests wondered why she hadn't put up any posters or pictures, her reply usually containing the lie that she likes her room minimalistic.

Well, one the one hand she really liked the idea of such a design, on the other hand she didn't possess much stuff to decorate her room with. The Status of Secrecy from the Ministry of Magic didn't allow her to expose magical objects to Muggles, as people without magical abilities are called.

Of course she still owned posters from her muggle childhood, but it seemed rather silly to her to have pictures of horses and fairies on her walls. Something else was far more important. Books. During her summer holidays from Hogwarts, Hermione has been mostly reading. She liked books from the wizarding world much better, their pages thicker and more parchment-like than the cold and soulless muggle equivalents.

A pile of them were safely hidden underneath her bed to protect them from the view of muggles. She also became used to read with light emerging from her wand. When she stayed at her parents, Hermione had to use candles to get a similar dim and warm light. Of course it was possible to turn on the ceiling lamps but the emitted rays were too cold and unpleasant for Hermione Granger's taste.  
Although being highly annoyed by checking the candles every few minutes to make sure nothing catches fire, she usually enjoyed reading at home as much as at Hogwarts.

But today was different. For over an hour Hermione tried to read the same page about a potion which name she has already forgotten or simply didn't save in her brain while reading the headline.  
During her holidays she usually prepared for her upcoming year, getting all the materials earlier and studying hard to start off with an advantage compared to the other students. Also a good knowledge about potions would surely help her with the class, in which they always had to deliver perfect results to satisfy Severus Snape.

But today was different. Hermione couldn't concentrate at all, her vision blurry and unfocused. Also school seemed to be far away in a distant cupboard of her brain. Something else covered the important parts of her thalamus now, even though she couldn't tell what it was. Hermione hadn't really left her room for nearly two weeks, just for eating and the bathroom.

Her parents were worried and asked her daily if she wanted to talk. Appreciating the efforts Mr. and Mrs. Granger made to help her daughter, she couldn't talk to them about wizarding related issues. She needed her friends to talk things through. Her friends that often led Hermione straight into danger and life threatening situations, this year barely escaping some Death Eaters and even worse Lord Voldemort himself in the Department of Mysteries.

Obviously she could use an owl to send a message, but it just wasn't the same as speaking to someone in person. Especially when you don't want to talk about your trip to the beach, but serious matters concerning the Order of the Phoenix for example. In these dark times, there was also the chance that owls got intercepted. How can she go on another two weeks without seeing Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter?

Hermione was certain that it would have helped if some pictures of her friends were hanging on the walls in her tiny and lonely room. They would help remember everything they lived through, their friendship, how their lives were already bonded together. And with that last thought, she drifted off to a restless sleep.

She woke up to a loud voice emerging right above her head.

"How often did I tell you to not light candles in the middle of the night? You are not a child anymore!"

Hermione raised her head slowly, being far too tired to respond immediately. When her eyes met the wax, that was spread all over the floor and a small blackened area where the candle had burned the wood, she sighed and felt guilty immediately.

"What is wrong my dear, why don't you just turn on the light?" her Mother asked in an already less severe tone.

"It – it – ehm I just don't like the cold light okay?" responded Hermione clearly knowing that her argument wouldn't even persuade a five year old child.

Her mother approached her, giving her a kiss on the forehead and sat down next to her on the bed.

"You told me several times that wizards and witches usually don't use electricity and a lot of places are lit by magically enchanted candles and fires. But you can't use magic here, Hermione, you know that. You have to be careful."

"Mom, I know that these are non-magical candles. I dozed off. I am sorry."

Her mother sighed and looked in her deep brown eyes. She sometimes wondered whether her daughter used a spell to create these beautiful structured irises, reminding her of brown marble.

She paused for a few seconds then asked "You really miss Hogwarts, don't you? I am very proud of you and your commitment to school but recently I sometimes had the thought, that you don't like staying here for the summer"

Hermione looked startled at her mother, as if she had said a swearword.

"Mum, no, you know I love being at home. How can you say something like that?"

Mrs. Granger looked away, her eyes resting at the spot on the floor where the candle had stood.

"You are barely leaving your room, you don't talk to us about what happened at school this year and you didn't want to come on holidays with us. What is wrong darling? I know I am not like you in some way, but I still have two open ears. I am your mother, you can tell me everything"

The girl on the bed looked as if she had lost an argument, a very rarely happening event in the life of Hermione Granger. Her eyes saddened and she took a deep breath.

"It's really nothing mom, I am just a bit exhausted."

Her mother sighed and looked worried.

"Is it, ehm, about a boy?"

Hermione stared at her puzzled for a moment then she cried "Mooom, noo, what are you thinking of me?"

Her Mother smirked. "Sorry my dear, I had to ask. You haven't told us much about, you know, these things".

"Well because there is nothing to be told", Hermione responded a little bit angry.

"Alright then, I actually wanted to let you know that we will have breakfast in a few minutes. See you downstairs. And clean up this mess on the floor."

Mr. and Mrs. Granger were already sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for their daughter to join them. Also a fluffy ball was curled up in one of the wooden chairs. Crookshanks raised its head when Hermione was halfway down the staircase.

Even the cat seemed to give her that reproachful look Mrs. Granger had on her face a few minutes earlier. Crookshanks had already proven its remarkable intelligence to Sirius Black, who persuaded the cat to bring him a rat from inside of Hogwarts.

Hermione noticed this unusual behavior but walked straight to her favorite chair and sat down.

"Good Morning Hermione, had a good sleep?", her father asked in a cheerful voice from the opposite side of the table.

"Oh yeah, apart from – ehm – you know. Did you sleep well too?", Hermione answered carefully and trying not to bring up the topic from earlier that morning.

"Hm, what do you mean?", Mr. Granger replied looking unknowingly at his daughter and then at his wife.

"Oh I think Hermione meant, that she had a little nightmare this night. She told me when I woke her up.", Mrs. Granger explained to her husband.

"Oh well, that happens from time to time. I slept well too, thanks for asking".

Hermione became uncomfortable knowing that her mother had just lied for her. She reckoned that the talking about the little incident might bring up the topic about Hermione's mood again.

The girl with bushy brown hair felt a rush of affection streaming through her body. Talking about the feelings she had over the last few weeks hurt and her mother was well aware of that fact. A small portion of scrambled eggs was put on the plate of Hermione and it took her nearly ten minutes to finish eating.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the silence in the room, with the sunlight falling through one of windows right on their faces. The kitchen was small but had everything you need for a good meal. Mr. Granger was a impassionate cook and when he had enough time, he enjoyed preparing delicious and extravagant dinner.

Free of sugar of course, as both Hermione's parents were dentists. Today though, he left early for work, giving the other two women a quick kiss on the cheek and walking straight out of the front door.

"Mom you shouldn't have lied to him", Hermione began as she stood up to collect the used plates on the table.

"Don't worry, I know he would have taken it way more serious than I did. You know his security affinity, can't sleep before checking three times whether he turned off the stove or not.", her Mom replied her lips forming a smile.

Both chuckled and Hermione knew she was right. The thought of falling asleep while a candle was still burning must surely be one of the nightmares her father had. The house they lived in was old, maybe a hundred years and Mr. Granger was proud of the property that his parents had left him.

Hermione knew that her stupid accident could have burned down years of hard work from her ancestors and suddenly she felt guilty again.

"I don't know if you noticed but yesterday Alex was here."

Hermione looked around after she had put the forks in the dishwasher.

"You mean my ex music teacher Alex? What did he do here?"

"Oh yes, exactly him" Her mother smiled.

"He took care of our piano. You know how bad it was out of tune since you stopped taking lessons"

"You mean, he tuned it?"

"Yes my dear, it is now functioning properly again. I thought that music might cheer you up. It helped me when I was younger. I sat down at the piano, thought about my problems and just played whatever came to my mind. Often it sounded horrible of course. But sometimes things get transferred from your feelings right into your hands resulting in a beautiful melody that echoes in your body and soul. That's how I released my overwhelming emotions. Just by pressing a few keys on a piano."

"Wow Mum, that would have made a good poem. Shakespeare would be proud"

They laughed at this. "Really Hermione, try it! You will not regret it"

"Well I guess I have no other choice after you have paid for the tuning?"

"You are right about that, smart girl"

The Granger's music room was on the ground floor, next to the kitchen. Hermione always wondered when she saw the big grand piano standing in the middle of the room how people even managed to get it in the house.

As a witch she could've used a charm to shrink it, pass it through the several doors and then expand it again. No problem. She came to the conclusion that you either had to move the piano in pieces and build it up in the room or you simply had to build your house around a piano. The second option sounded like her ancestors were crazy about music, something Hermione couldn't share a hundred percent with them.

But as she sat down on the stool and looked at the old and beautifully crafted instrument she felt a growing rush of excitement building up in her body. Three big shelves crammed with books about music were standing in a corner of the room.

Apart from that it was empty. When Hermione thought about the interior she had the feeling, that someone decorated the room with the hope that minimal interior would help to not get distracted too easily. To keep the creativity up. Hermione was never someone who considered herself to be creative, as most of her favorite things were done by her left hemisphere.

Rationality, science, logic, reading – that were her strengths and not creativity, art, spontaneity and all the other things that were associated with the other half of her brain.

Her music teacher Alex even said to her once that she should not focus that much on playing exactly what was written on the music sheets. She should try to interpret the song and modify it slightly.

Hermione never really got the hang of it.

She loved playing the piano but then the Hogwarts Letter arrived, putting her life upside down. She wasn't quite sure why nobody at Hogwarts seems to care about music. Of course there had been the Yule Ball with the "Weird Sisters" as a band but apart from that she never heard of a lot of music making inside of Hogwarts.

Her mother was right with her sentimental talk. As soon as she touched the first key and a high g note was echoing in the room a warm and emotional feeling hit her. Hermione was glad that her mother left to visit her sister, having all the house to herself now.

Nobody could hear her poor playing, nobody would interrupt her. She tried to remember some pieces she had played years ago, but the muscle memory of her fingers seemed to have forgotten the complex and swift movements. What was she supposed to be playing? Could she just improvise? Glancing at the door twice, Hermione made sure that indeed nobody was listing to her.

She then started playing with her right hand a simple but powerful melody. With the left she tried to find matching chords to it. At first the concentrated hard on the technique because of her lack of recent practice but after a few minutes her focus drifted off and thoughts kicked in. The music gradually changed.

When Sirius and the battle at the ministry came to her mind, the music slowly turned into a sad ballad. Shacking off the thoughts and thinking of her friends and family and what they would do at the moment, the music shifted to a more friendly and happy tune. Suddenly Harry occupied her thoughts and even Hermione wasn't sure how her playing would change.

It was like her subconsciousness was leading her to the suiting melody and harmonies. It changed, but only slightly. The tempo slowed down, her foot left the sustain pedal less often and the whole tune blurred a bit. It wasn't exactly like the sad ballad before. More dreamy, worrying but at the same time exiting and unpredictable.

(Listen to Hermione on Youtube here: /watch?v=Hs1fqilOcxg)

* * *

Two parents looked at each other in concern.  
"Don't you think that she behaves a little odd?", Mrs. Granger asked her husband when they were sitting in the living room watching TV.

"Hm?", her husband groaned.

"Hey, are you even listening?"

"Sorry darling, what did you just say?"

"I asked whether you think Hermione behaves a little odd this summer. I tried to talk to her, but she didn't really want to tell me anything."

She looked worried, almost afraid. When her mouth opened again, she stuttered slightly, "What if, what if it has to do with that bad wizard she told us about last year? She was very worried about that guy that calls himself Lord Voldemort the last holidays."

"I don't know. But how much would you worry, when a terrorist broke out of one of our jails? I mean yes, he is a wizard, but so is their police. How bad can it possibly be?"

"Hm, maybe you are right. I asked her if it was about a boy..."

"WHAT?", Mr. Granger cried out. "Not our Hermione!"

His wife smiled at him and took his hands into her own.

"How old have you been, when you started caring about that stuff?"

Mr. Granger thought for a moment, the expression on his face softened.

"We have become old. Time passes too fast when you watch your children grow up. It feels like yesterday when the letter for Hogwarts arrived. And now she is dating someone"

"Ah stop it, you are only as old as you feel. And by the way she said that it wasn't about a boy and reacted with a similar outburst."

He blushed but at the same time looked relieved. "Well good to know. Although I would rather have Hermione thinking about a boy than worrying about some crazy terrorist of course".

They continued watching TV in silence. A rather boring thriller was broadcasted which plot was so predictable that the two knew after a few minutes that the mass murderer was one of the police officers.

Annoyed, Mr. Granger reached for the remote control and turned off the TV. They should really work on the program. If they continue like that, everyone will be watching Netflix in a few years.

"I think she feels lonely", Mr. Granger suddenly brought up.

"You think so? Well she hasn't got a lot of friends here. I mean how can she when her school is in Scotland?"

"Also in puberty children usually build up a distance to their parents. Sooner or later that that will happen", he added. Mrs. Granger scratched her head.

"I didn't know that my husband could be insightful and empathic"

She laughed and saw him rolling his eyes but continued, "We haven't really met her friends, did we? Sure at Kings Cross we have seen them several times, but didn't really get to know them. How about we invite them to stay here with us the rest of the summer? Hermione has always been at the burrow the last years, so we can at least invite them once"

Her husband smiled at her, knowing that they may have found a solution to lighten up Hermione's mood. He answered,  
"And she hasn't told us that she is going to the burrow this summer. We could also invite them to go on a trip. According to Hermione that Potter boy has never been outside the country. Do you remember how angry his relatives looked when they picked him up from Kings Cross?"

"Yes I do, almost like it hurt them to have him back. Maybe they will be happy if we take care of their boy for a few weeks".

* * *

 _Knock, knock, knock._

"Come in!"

Hermione turned her head to see who has knocked on her bedroom door. This time her father entered. She has always had a good relationship to her father, though she must admit that she was closer with her mother. Maybe that is true for most of the children but nevertheless the loved her father just as much as her mother.

"Hey Hermione, sorry to interrupt your reading."

"Oh no worries, I just finished the chapter about useful applications of the tickling charm" the girl on the bed responded.

"Ehhh… The what?"

"Tickling charm. It makes people burst out in laughter. But here it has been applied to a dangerous creature which apparently became quite tame after that."

"Yeah, really interesting, I must say. But Hermione I wanted to ask you something", Mr. Granger said, even though looking a bit afraid that she might instantly know why he was proposing the following.

"We thought about inviting your friends over for the holidays. You have always stayed at the Weasleys and I think it is time to return a favor and have them at our place. I know they might feel uncomfortable at a muggle house, but it is big and you know how much I like to cook for people and receive their compliments after the first fork of my magically delicious food"

She chuckled for a few seconds about the pun, then turned her face to her father smiling.

"I would love that, this is such a beautiful idea. Did you come up with it?", she asked her father.

"Actually yes I did, and your mother agrees with me" he replied grinning proudly. He took a small step towards Hermione and lay a hand on her shoulders. "You think that it is okay, ehm, you know, that we are non-magical people?"

"Of course it is. Harrys aunt and uncle are muggles too."

"What about Ron?"

"Well he will have to live with it", Hermione grinned evilly looking as though she was planning the prank of the year.

"I suppose it will help him respect and understand more about the non-magical world".

"Oh well, if you say so. I already wrote letters to their parents but I didn't find someone called Weasley or Potter in the telephone book, neither could I find out their address. "

"Oh", Hermione said understandingly. "You can't find them because they only communicate by owl. And Harrys aunt took the last name from her husband, 'Dursley'.

"Ah I see. Can you use your owl to send the letters to them?", her father asked her slightly confused. _Why the hell would someone wait days for an owl instead of just calling them on their telephone_ , he thought. He made sure to remember the question and ask Ron when he was here.

"Sure, it may take some time until I have the reply from both though"

"No problem, we are in no hurry", her father said, his head lowering slightly. "Time passes too fast anyway".


	2. Chapter 2: Flying Tents

**Chapter 2: Flying Tents**

"Hm?"

"Hermione, wake up!"

The sun had barely risen but two additional people were standing in Hermione's bedroom. They silently walked to her bed and looked down.

Several books were piled next to her head, touched by bushy brown hair. She was lying in fetal position, her knees almost touching her chest as though she had had a horrible nightmare and wanted to protect herself.

"Maybe we should just let her sleep, she will be pissed when we wake her up", a familiar voice whispered to his best friend.

Ron looked up, shrugged and whispered back, "I think if we don't wake her she will be mad too".

The friends looked at each other grinning. They silently agreed to a plan. Both took a large book of the pile and placed it their laps. Then they silently opened the books.

Harry looked over to his mate, trying the suppress a giggle. As if timed by a silent metronome, they both slammed their books shut at the exact same moment, followed by a piercing scream. Hermione quickly jumped to her feet, her wand ready to strike. Before she could open her mouth, Harry dashed forward and pressed his hand against her mouth.

"Hermione! Stop, stop, it's us!" Ron cried out, waving his hands to signal Hermione that they were indeed Harry and Ron. Her eyes widened in shock and she pushed back Harry, who fell off her bed and landed on the cold floor.

"Are you kidding me?", she screamed at them. "After all what happened you think you can come in my room at night without any notice and startle me like that?"

Harry and Ron quickly exchanged the "sometimes she really has to relax a bit" look but turned it down instantly when Hermione started to glare at them.

"Hermione, we just wanted to have a little bit of fun. We couldn't know that you sleep with your wand under your pillow", Ron answered nonchalantly.

Hermione was about to explode and Harry couldn't tell if he had ever seen her that angry.

"GET OUT! GET OUT! Or I swear I jinx you both out of here and be happily expelled"

Ron and Harry moved quickly to the door and as soon as it fell shut Ron said, "Honestly I highly doubt the part about Hermione being happy to get expelled in exchange to stun our arse".

Mr. Granger greeted them happily as they entered the kitchen and offered them two chairs.

"You didn't manage to wake her up, huh?"

"Well yes and no", Ron replied awkwardly. "We thought that your idea of surprising her would make her happy, but it seems like we exaggerated a bit with the execution. We wanted to do a little prank, but it kind of backfired."

"Oh, I heard some screams from upstairs. I am sorry I should have warned you".

"What do you mean?", both friends asked surprisingly.

"Well, don't mention it to her that I told you this, but she seemed kind of depressed since she arrived here. She didn't leave her room for weeks and didn't talk to us about anything that happened this year in school" Mr. Granger replied, looking seriously worried.

"That's also a reason why I invited you", he told them. "Of course I am also happy to get to know you better", he added smiling.

Harry and Ron stared at the cups on the table in front of them. They bought knew why Hermione didn't tell her parents anything. When they arrived this morning they were greeted by a few people from the Order of the Phoenix, a secret group of wizards and witches led by Albus Dumbledore, who worked in secret against Voldemort and his supporters.

The Order has been guarding the house ever since the return of Voldemort, making sure that he couldn't take Hermione's parents as hostages. They were sure that after the eventful fifth year at Hogwarts, Hermione struggled to confess to her parents. Of course they were protected by the order, which improved security even more when they heard that Harry would be staying here.

On the other hand there is no hundred percent security. And being muggles, Hermione's parents wouldn't be able to just apparate out of the house but were trapped inside. Harry suddenly felt really bad for the little joke they tried to make. Sometimes he was really surprised by his lack of insensibility.

Ron apparently didn't care that much, already standing in front of the toaster and asking "Mr. Granger, could you please help me with this thing?".

Ron has never been Mister Sensitive but in the last two years he had developed a bigger interest in Hermione's feelings. Harry thought that maybe this interest was only present when people like Victor Krum invited her to the Yule Ball.

He came back with two piles of toast, putting one on Harry's plate.

"Thanks, mate".

"How did it go with the owls?", Harry asked Mr. Granger with his mouth full of bacon and eggs.

"Oh, it was easier than I expected. The first letters Hermione sent for me but the owls with the replies came directly to me. I grabbed the parchment from the legs and wrote a message back. I felt a bit silly talking to them, but I had the feeling that they understood me. Smart animals", he replied proudly but added "Though I don't really get why wizards don't use a telephone, it would speed things up. Does your family have a telephone Ron?"

"Oh, no, only my father really knows what a telliphone is. And he said you needed electricity for that, I am not sure if we even have that at our home"

"It's called a TELEPHONE, Ronald!"

A bossy female voice was hearable from upstairs and after a few seconds Hermione stood on the staircase. Obviously being in her normal state of correcting everyone around her, she took a few steps towards the table and smiled at them.

"Oh dad, that is a really nice surprise and I thought the owls just didn't find the way to our house" She gave a both Ron and Harry a tight hug and sat down on the remaining chair around the table. The two wizards exchanged bemused looks, shrugging and forming the word "women" with their lips.

"Hey, don't think I didn't see that. I will come back to your little prank later"

They talked over half an hour about everything they experienced the weeks after they left Hogwarts. Ron's brothers had been at the burrow for a weekend and Bill announced that he will marry Fleur next year. At the sound of her name, Hermione let out a sigh but didn't comment further on the topic.

Harry hadn't been up to anything, time at the Dursleys had always been a rather unpleasing experience. Hermione reported that she started playing the piano again and had tried to read all the books they needed to study for the upcoming year. Now Ron sighed, but quickly stopped when Hermione casted him the _how dare you?_ look.

Harry was used to Ron and Hermione fighting all the time at Hogwarts. Sometimes he just couldn't stand it anymore and would leave to the boys dormitory. He really hoped that the two would give it a break over the holidays. Luckily Ron just kept quiet and started to help Mr. Granger cleaning the table.

Suddenly Hermione took Harry's hand and signalled him to follow her.

"Ehh what are you up to Hermione?" he asked her puzzlingly.

"I just want to show you something while Ron is helping dad, come on!"

He stood up and followed her out of the kitchen but noticed Ron giving them a disappointed glance. She led him to her room and told Harry to sit on her bed.

"Harry, I am happy you are here. When I heard that we wouldn't go to the burrow this year I felt guilty"

"Oh, I am happy too Hermione, but why on earth should you feel guilty?"

Hermione hesitated for a moment, then she took his right hand into hers and continued, "After all what happened. Last year, the graveyard. This year the battle at the ministry and…" she almost couldn't finish the sentence properly, "…Sirius"

Her eyes filled with tears and she felt Harry's hand stiffen.

"I felt really bad not being able to talk to you, not to support you when you needed me most"

Harry couldn't help and took Hermione in a warming embrace. His head rested on her shoulder and he whispered, "It's not your fault that he died, Hermione. There is only one person to blame and that is me. Everyone told me that Voldemort would use our connection against me but I just wouldn't listen. Like I knew it better then Dumbledore"

She was about to reply when Harry interrupted her, "You went with me to the ministry, saved my ass once more. Can I really ask more from a friend? You risk your life for me all the time, Hermione"

She was shaking slightly after he finished and he felt her arms pulling him closer.

"Oh Harry, don't say that. It wasn't your fault. You saw Mr. Weasley being attacked by Nagini, you just wanted to do the same for Sirius. And do you really expect Ron and me staying behind when you try to fight Voldemort and his death eaters? No offense, but you just can't go alone. How often do we have to tell you this, Harry?"

Now Harry was the one who had watery eyes, but he managed to wipe them on Hermione's sweater when they freed themselves from the embrace.

"Thanks for being such a good friend Hermione".

"Thank you for letting me a part of Harry Potter's thrilling and exciting life", she replied playfully.

"And now let's stop being too emotional and go back to the grey and boring daily life here at the Granger's house. Let's enjoy it until as long as we can", she added and was already walking towards the door when Harry said "Let's hope it is not as boring as your bedroom Hermione. Your walls are as empty as the brains of Crabbe and Goyle".

* * *

When they were back in the kitchen, Ron suspiciously stared at them for a few seconds before asking "Where did you go?"

"Oh, I just showed Harry the piano", Hermione responded.

Harry didn't exactly know why they avoided telling Ron about their conversation but it somehow seemed the right thing to do. Maybe he would feel a bit jealous too.

"Ahh, right.", Ron responded, not showing that he exactly knew that the music room was on the ground floor and that Harry and Hermione went upstairs when they left the kitchen.

All four people turned around when they heard the front door open.

"Ron! Harry! Oh, I am so happy that you could make it", Mrs. Granger cried out. She gave both a hug and went on "So you both arrived that morning, as we suggested?"

"Yes Mrs. Granger, Ron's dad was so kind and drove us here", Harry replied with a smile.

"Oh what a pity that I missed him. I had to go to work early today", she replied. "But nevertheless, I have a good message for all three of you"

The three friends looked surprised and when none of them seemed to react Mrs Granger's words she continued "I just talked to Emilia. Emilia is a neighbour of ours, around your age. She and Hermione went to primary school together and during the summer they sometimes meet and have a chat. She didn't know that you were here this summer Hermione, otherwise she would have come for a visit"

"Oh yeah, maybe I should have given her a call. Well what did you talk about anyway?", Hermione asked her mother.

Mrs. Granger grinned as though she just asked the question she wanted to hear.

"Well, she told me that she and a few friends want to go on a trip through Europe. Starting in England, over France, Germany, Austria and if there is time left also Slovenia and Croatia. Croatia must be really beautiful"

Harry made a weird face, a mix between jealousy and curiosity. He had never been outside the country, except for Hogwarts which was in Scotland. But that doesn't really count. The Dursleys sometimes went on holidays but they refused to take Harry. Not that he was keen to go with them, Harry liked staying at Mrs. Figg who treated him at least like an equal human being.

Ron on the other hand had been once in Egypt. But as Hermione and Harry knew the Weasleys didn't have a lot of money and couldn't afford traveling with such a big family. The Grangers had been in a lot of countries, they even went skiing in winter once. Hermione went furious when she tried to explain Ron the reason why people would go up a mountain and then go down again with ski tied to their feet. He mumbled something like "Muggles" and Hermione used the rolled up daily prophet to hit him across the face.  
Harry couldn't help but laugh aloud.  
Good old times.

"What's so funny Harry?", Hermione asked him.

"Oh nothing really. Sorry Mrs. Granger I didn't want to interrupt you"

"Oh don't worry, Harry. Emilia's friends unexpectedly told her yesterday that they couldn't go. She was really angry, she had already rented a camper for the whole time and planned a lot of stuff".

Hermione tilted her head slightly, a knowing look on her face.

" _She can't be serious_ ", Hermione thought, " _She must be crazy to even think about it_ ".

"So I suggested that I asked you three to go with her", Mrs. Granger announced happily.

Harry's and Ron's mouth dropped, shocked by her suggestion. Even though she knew what was coming, Hermione looked as though someone asked her for permission to copy her homework – not amused.

"But mom, we haven't really spent that much time together and she doesn't know Ron and Harry"

"Oh come on, Hermione, be a little spontaneous. And by the way, there is also the possibility to get to know people and make friends. Maybe you can expand your inner circle of three to four people this summer?"

Three gazes met each other, everyone not really able to contribute anything valuable.

"Ehh, maybe we should talk about it first?", Ron suggested.

"Yes do that, but don't take too long, I told Emilia that I would give her a call this evening", Mrs. Granger cried after them, the three friends already on the stairs.

They shut the door to Hermione's room and suddenly Ron burst out, "She can't be serious, your mother. I thought we were spending our time here at your house. And now she want us to spend our time in a camper thing. I don't know what the bloody hell that is, but it sounds like a flying tent to me. Anyways, I am not used to muggles, I couldn't avoid talking about our world for weeks"

"Ron, It's a bigger car, where you can cook and sleep in", Harry interrupted him.

Hermione seemed to agree. "I know, I am sorry. Sometimes my mother just goes over the top with her ideas. I mean it sounds like great fun to travel with Emilia and you two around Europe in a camper but I am with Ron. During these times we just can't vanish for weeks and go on holidays. We need to help the Order and the others."

The third friend however had a slightly different opinion.

"But do they really need our help? We were trying to find out a whole year what was going on. How can we help, if they don't even tell us what they are up to. The whole bloody year! We were so desperate that we used extendable ears to spy on them. I know that they are trying to protect us, and isn't Molly always telling us that we are too young and that we should live free of worry as long as we can?", Harry stated convincingly.

"I know this sounds really pessimistic, but maybe this is our last summer we can spend together in peace. Think about it. Dumbledore promised to tell me everything next year. Do you really think I can just go on holidays after that and forget about the little problem called Voldemort?" he now rather shouted at them.

Hermione and Ron stood helplessly near the desk and didn't know what to say. Then Hermione took the word "Harry, don't think like that, you will have a lot of opportunities to travel the world"

"Really? And what if I just get killed? Blasted off the earth and having seen probably less than one percent of it. What an amazing life" he commented sarcastically.

Hermione looked as though she was about to start crying, when Ron said "Harry has a point there, Hermione. And do you remember the Quidditch World Cup two years ago? We all lived like muggles at the camping area and we still had a lot of fun. Of course we have to be extra careful, we can't oblivate muggles and such things".

Harry smiled at his best friend and calmed down, even though he wasn't perfectly sure if Ron only said that because of him or if he really liked the idea.

"It still feels wrong Harry. Pretending we are having a good summer, while everyone else is risking their life. And besides – Ron – we were sleeping inside a magical enchanted tent. So it was basically a house", Hermione replied. She went a few steps up and down the room, thinking.  
"Dumbledore and the others wouldn't like that idea, I am pretty sure of that"

"You are right Hermione, but think about the alternative", Harry began. "Spending our summer here at your house. Here we aren't going to be especially helpful for the Order either. Like I said, they won't let us know anything, so it doesn't really make a difference where we are."

"It does! They secured this house, protected it for months and we should just tell them that we are going to risk our lives for a muggle camping trip?", Hermione asked, trying to keep her temper down. She sat down at the chair in front of her desk and started to bite her fingernails.

"Hermione, You-Know-Who wouldn't expect us to go on holidays with muggles. Maybe we could use Polyjuice Potion for the first miles and when we are out of the country, we can relax" Ron suggested naively.

"Ron – do you really think Emilia doesn't know how I look like? And I think she would be quite surprised when from one second to the next three different people were sitting in her camper"

"Hermione please!", Harry begged, trying to persuade her with his puppy face. "Oh stop doing that, you git", she chuckled. She stopped biting her fingernails and stood up again, coming to a conclusion.

"Okay, okay, if you both want to go and take the risk, I will not be the one who gets in the way to your happiness. But you two explain it to the Order, I will just stand back and tell them that I can't let you two fools go alone"

"Thank you, Hermione", Harry cried out enthusiastically and went a few steps towards her to hug her once again.

She couldn't supress a smile when she saw Harry Potter that happy. Somehow he had manged to talk her into it and now she doesn't even remember why she had been against the idea in the first place.

What could be better than such a trip with her closest friends? She saw herself lying on a towel at the beach, watching the sunset from the top of a mountain and talking about nonsense by the campfire. It seemed perfect.

"Good, it's settled then. I will go downstairs and tell mom, she will be delighted to hear that. Oh and by the way, the next one who surprises and pranks people will definitely be me"

After that she left the room, leaving two bewildered wizards behind. It took some time for Harry and Ron to find out what Hermione meant, but when they did, they couldn't believe their eyes.

* * *

Authors note: Hello everyone :) I thought after the second chapter it is time for some introduction. So I'm taler and this is actually the first fan fiction I have written. And it is the first English story I have ever written in my entire life. So please review and give me some feedback. I hope you don't find the idea of the three friends going on a trip too absurd. I have always wondered why nobody had the idea to go somewhere else but the burrow, especially Harry. So I hope you enjoyed that chapter come back for the third one. And yes in the first chapter, I recorded the piano part. That's how I imagined Hermione would be playing.


	3. Chapter 3: Departure

Chapter 3: Departure

"I don't know why, but I am nervous", a pale figure whispered to his friend, his fingers awkwardly entangled.

The three friends were about to leave and visit Emilia, a muggle friend of Hermione who had invited them to a camping trip.

Harry let out a small laugh. "Oh Ron, we are just meeting Emilia. I trust Hermione when she tells us that she is nice"

"She is! And now get going or we will be late", Hermione demanded, one hand at Harry's and the other at Ron's back, pushing them through the front door.

It was a lovely evening. The last sunbeams were traveling along the cloudless sky, casting light with tints of orange on them. The house of Emilia's parents was not far away. When they strolled up to the end of the street and turned right, Hermione could already see their destination.

"Hermione, you better do the talking. I am sure that I would accidently uncover us after a few words", Ron suggested as they approached a small building surrounded by a wooden fence.

Harry was sure he saw Hermione rolling her eyes, but he was too focused on the sign that was mounted to the fence.

\- BEWARE OF THE GNOMES! -

"You told us she was a muggle!" Ron called out when he read the sign.

"She is, what gave you the idea?", she asked him surprisingly.

Ron pointed with one finger to the sign, looking triumphant and thinking he had already baffled Hermione's announced prank.

She burst out in laughter, drawing attention from the pedestrians on the street. Harry couldn't avoid a heavy grin too, but felt bad to make fun of Ron for not knowing about muggle related things.

"WHAT?", he cried out, blushing in the deepest shade of red.

"He is already looking like one of them", Harry pointed out.

Even though he didn't want to admit it, Ron's face now had a strong resemblance with a gnome's hat. Hermione was close to dying from laughter, when suddenly they heard a distant voice.

"Hermione, Hermione! Over here!"

Distracted from the fence, they hadn't noticed the figure lying on one of sun loungers close to the front door. She first waved and then stood up to greet them. Hermione pushed open the gate and met her halfway across the lawn with a tight hug.

"Oh Emilia, it's so nice to see you. We haven't talked in ages! You look so beautiful, I always knew I am be the wallflower and you the orchid"

"Hermione!" Emilia laughed cheerfully and kissed Hermione on the cheek. "I am so happy that you have come, and don't talk rubbish like that, I look like a rusty dustbin compared to you"

It took a few seconds until they finished embracing each other and then Hermione started to introduce the others.

"Emilia – this is Harry Potter, a friend from school", she began and pointed at him. Harry took a few steps forward and stretched out his hand awkwardly.

"Hi", Harry began.

"Don't be silly, Mr. Potter", Emilia said, pulling him in a close embrace.

Harry felt the heat rising to his face. There was doubt that Emilia was a beautiful woman. She was one feet smaller than him, had shoulder-length straight brown hair and an athletic figure. She was wearing blue hot pants and a red telly top, that emphasized her curves. When she had looked at Harry with her ocean blue eyes and a smile that people would kill for, he just couldn't look away.

"And this ginger over there is Ronald Weasley", Hermione continued, looking grinningly at Harry, whose eyes awkwardly followed Emilia for several steps. As Harry noticed that he got caught by Hermione, he shrugged and gave her the "Sorry, I couldn't help it" look.

"Hi, Ronald", said Emilia approaching him with her arms spread, ready to hug.

Ron must have felt like Harry, because when he opened his mouth his words didn't make much sense.  
"Hey-ya, nobody calls me Ronald really. A stupid name my parents gave me. Just call me Ron, like Harry and Hermione. Of course if you want you can also use Ronald. Both are fine for me, I just eh - "

"Oh, I think then I will just call you Ron", Emilia responded smilingly.

Hermione had to bring her hand to her mouth to supress the giggles that would have further disgraced Ron in that situation.

They followed Emilia to a wooden garden table with two benches. Hermione sat down and Emilia let herself fall on the bench opposite to her.  
Ron overtook Harry on their way and quickly sat down next to Emilia, giving her the most charming smile he was capable of. She smiled back, having a slightly confusing expression on her face.

"I am so glad that you guys are here. You can't imagine how happy I was when your mother called and said that you were interested in the trip", Emilia began. "All the others just begged off a week ago"

"Did something happen so that they couldn't go anymore?", Harry asked conversationally.

"Not really… The grandmother of one of my friends died, so she wants to stay for the funeral. Then were was this kind of chain reaction. People begged off because their friends couldn't come"

"Well – don't worry about that now Emilia, we will happily accompany you and we will surely not get out last minute", Hermione assured her.

"Thanks Hermione, I really appreciate that. Anyway, did Mrs. Granger already tell you something about the trip I have planned?"

The three friends nodded and Ron said, "She told us some parts of it. That you would like travel through central Europe for a few weeks with a – eh"  
"- Camper", Hermione finished the sentence for him.

"Yes, with a camper"

Emilia grinned at them, having the feeling that they were just as excited about the trip as she was.

"Cool, then you basically know what you can expect. To be honest I didn't want to plan every step, so actually I thought we could just decide on the road where we want to stay. If we pass through a nice place we stay and if not, we just drive on. And since I am already eighteen I volunteer for the driving"

"Sounds lovely", Hermione said, although not really looking convinced. She wasn't quite sure if she would be that spontaneous. The perfectly structured study plan she had already developed for the upcoming year at Hogwarts didn't help to make her feel better either.

"We can all sleep in the camper, but I suggest that we take a tent with us too. Apart from that just the usual things"

They discussed several more topics, like what kind of food they would take and which activities they prefer. Harry and Ron would have loved to take their brooms with them, but Hermione didn't agree.

"You can't take them with you, we will basically spend all our time together with Emilia. Imagine someone would see you…", she had told them when they had discussed a day ago how to deal with the fact that Emilia was a muggle.

The three friends had agreed that they would try to completely stay away from magical things. Of course they had to take their wands and a few other items like the invisibility cloak.  
Harry and Ron had also talked to Tonks and Lupin about the trip and surprisingly they had received the news rather joyfully. Apparently Voldemort was still trying to work undercover and there had been no rumours about him trying to infiltrate foreign government institutions.

The Order still insisted that they take the abovementioned things with them, regardless of the possibility that Emilia could find them somewhere.  
"Security is the first priority for you", Lupin had told them. "We can still obliviate Emilia after you come back"

Hermione had looked disgustedly at him for that statement, and had sworn to herself that she would never allow that to happen.

"Okay, also – ehm – ", Emilia lowered her voice a bit, "my friends did already buy beer and some booze for the trip, so we could take it", looking at them with big questioningly eyes.

The friends looked a bit surprised. Harry had often seen Dudley and his gang drinking in the park and when Aunt Petunia had noticed a strong scent once, Dudley responded that everyone drinks from time to time at his age.

Hermione was sometimes invited to parties during the summer and therefor did also know about the drinking habits of muggle teenagers.  
The student at Hogwarts didn't drink a lot though. Of course there were some cases of awful hangovers, induced by firewhisky and butterbeer but it was hard to buy this stuff at Hogsmeade and smuggle it past Filch. Only experienced rule breakers like Fred and George could do it.

"Yeah sure, some butterbeer would be nice", Ron responded enthusiastically, obviously trying to give Emilia the impression that he was a fun guy.

"What is butterbeer?", Emilia asked slightly confused. "They just bought some normal light beer"

"Oh, it's a sort of beer mix that people drink at our school", Harry said, helping his friend.

"They had the idea to put butter and ice cream in a bottle of beer. Sounds more disgusting than it actually tastes"

Emilia laughed hard and shook her head simultaneously. "It does indeed sound disgusting. I hope it wasn't one of you who came up the idea"

"No, don't worry", Hermione said with a faked smile. Then after looking at her watch she said, "Emilia, I told my parents we would be back at ten. We should go"

"Oh, what a shame. But we will have enough time to talk when we are on the trip"

They rose from the benches and Emilia gave everyone a hug.

"It was nice meeting you and thanks again for coming with me. See you on Monday then!"

"Thanks for taking us", they replied and strode towards the gate.

When they had walked a few meters along the street, Ron told Hermione conversationally, "She is nice, your friend"

"I am pretty sure I know why you think she is NICE", Hermione replied snappishly. "A few hours ago you had had the opinion that going on holidays with a muggle was a bad idea. Now you seem to fancy it - or rather HER"

Ron exchanged glances with Harry, not knowing what he had done wrong. Harry just shrugged but had an idea what might had upset Hermione.

"I – I don't fancy her. I mean she is pretty yes, but looks aren't everything"

"Well sometimes I am not sure if you really believe that"

They reached the entrance door of the Grangers a few minutes later. When they entered, Hermione didn't mind to tell her parents that they were back but headed straight towards her room.

* * *

 _Knock. Knock.  
_  
Hermione exhaled deeply and then said in a soft voice, "Come in".

Harry opened the door to the Granger's music room and entered silently.

"I heard you play", Harry told her in a similar quite voice. "I like it"

"Thanks, Harry. I haven't really played the piano for a long time, so no need for a fake compliment"

She smiled at him sitting on the piano chair while Harry was walking towards a couch in the corner.  
"I wanted to talk to you – ehm – about today at Emilia"

Hermione sighed and took in a deep breath. Her chest rose and fell three more times until she spoke.  
"What about it? I like her plan and we have discussed everything important"

"You know that I am not talking about the trip"

Realizing that she couldn't avoid the unpleasant topic, she got up slowly and let herself fall on the couch next to Harry, a hurt look in her brown eyes.  
She felt Harry move a bit closer, their legs almost touching.

"It's about Ron, isn't it?"

A long moment passed until Hermione opened her mouth. "I am not sure. Maybe it is, maybe not"

"What an outstanding scientific analysis", Harry commented on Hermione's vague statement.

First Hermione looked almost angrily at him, but then they both started to laugh.

She punched his shoulder lightly, "Ah stop it, Harry Potter - you jerk"

"Outch – that actually hurt a bit"

"Are you going to cry now?"

"I am seriously considering it"

They shared another laugh and were suddenly sitting even closer to each other. Their legs touched and both enjoyed the warmth that emerged from the point of contact.

"Harry – do you think I am going to enjoy it?", Hermione asked, her eyes fixed on a point on the floor.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean the trip. It is not the kind of holidays I would normally do. You know how I am. Planning things early, enjoying books and other boring stuff. When Emilia started talking about the alcohol some doubts came up. I don't want to be the boring girl who doesn't like any of the things you will be doing"

Harry seriously considered her words for a moment then shook his head.

"Listen Hermione – It doesn't matter whether you jump from a 20 meter cliff or stay in the camper reading a book. You shouldn't care too much about what other people say – well – of course I am the exception. You should always listen to my brilliant advice"

She rolled her eyes, the corner of her mouth forming a smile.  
"And we already agreed that we would do the trip. So there is no way out. It's going to be amazing, I promise"

"Well - if the 'Boy Who Lived' gives a promise, I should blindly trust it"

"Exactly!"

There were a few seconds of silence. Then Harry broke it.

"So everything is good now?", he asked, searching for her eyes.

When Harry found them, they stared each other for few seconds.

"Yes, everything is good. Thanks Harry"

The pleasant feeling of touching Harry's leg vanished quickly as he stood up and stretched out his hand to help up Hermione.  
After they left the music room they said goodnight to each other. Harry slept on the couch and Ron had a small guest room for himself. A slight feeling of emptiness was spreading in her body when she ascended the stairs, trying to make no noise but the old wooden stairs creaking with every step she took.

Then she heard Harry call softly after her and stopped abruptly.

"Ehm – Hermione?"

"Yes?"

"Don't worry about Ron and Emilia. He would be a fool to prefer her to you"

"Oh – that's very kind of you - ", she responded, searching for words.

"No problem! Good night then" he said, closing the door to the living room.

Silence fell over the corridor.

"Good night - Harry", Hermione whispered.

* * *

The next days went by fast. And so the last evening at the Granger's arrived.  
Everyone was sitting in the living room, going through the list Hermione had written for them. She insisted that they double checked everything.

"One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi ..."

Hermione was bent over her travel bag searching eagerly for the abovementioned book.  
"… I am sure I put it in my bag. I would never forget a book of such importance"

Ron looked seriously annoyed, sitting in an armchair near the fireplace listening to Hermione's overcautious preparations.  
"There is no need to bring along this book Hermione, we won't be eating many fungi hopefully"

Hermione just shook her head and ignored him. Sometimes she couldn't tell if he was joking or just naïve.  
She had asked Tonks this morning if she could cast an undetectable extension charm on her bag. Now that she could pack basically everything, the chaos inside grew exponentially with every item she put in.  
"If I could just use my wand", Hermione thought when she threw a bikini to the side. Finally after a few more minutes she found what she was looking for.

"Ah there it is"

Harry smiled at her, ticking the item on the checklist.  
"That's it Hermione. I can officially announce that we didn't forget anything. Assuming your list is complete of course"

"Oh no, let me have a look. I am not sure whether we should take 'A History of Magic' with us. It might be interesting if we meet wizards or witches from other countries'

"Hermioneeee – we agreed on living like muggles during the trip. You told me several times", Ron remarked irritably. "They won't know we can perform magic"

Hermione sighed, closed the zipper of her bag and let herself fall on the couch next to her parents.

"You will be fine, Hermione", Mr. Granger assured her. "But I would like you to take your wands. Of course I know that you are not allowed to do magic outside school but just in case. I would feel less worried"

"Of course we take them Dad. But we won't need to jinx anyone, we will be careful"

Hermione's parents still didn't know anything about concerning the rise of Lord Voldemort and that a bunch of wizards were guarding the house 24 hours a day.

The Order developed a plan to improve the security of the trip. They thought only the first miles were dangerous. If they managed to drive for several more, it would be rather unlikely that the Death Eaters suspected Harry to be in a muggle vehicle traveling around Europe.

A few members of the Order will cast disillusionment charms on themselves and follow the camper on brooms for an hour. If they can't see anything suspicious during that time they can be pretty sure that nobody noticed their departure.

Obviously it wasn't a bullet proof plan but Harry, Ron and Hermione thought it was good enough. Hermione first insisted on extra security, being concerned about what would happen to Emilia if some Death Eaters found them, but agreed after a few minutes of consulting with Harry and Ron.

After everything was ready, they went to bed early. Emilia would arrive early in the morning, to avoid crowded streets until their first stop.  
Hermione lay in her bed thinking a lot about the next day. On the one hand she wanted to travel with her best friends, on the other she had the idea of calling Emilia, cancel the trip and stay in her bed all day. Slowly her thoughts disappeared and consciousness drifted towards a recovering and deep sleep.

* * *

"Get Up! Breakfast is ready"

A thin but tall guy with bright red hair was standing at Hermione's bed.

"Hm – what – just lemme sleep –", she dozily mumbled, turning on the other side to avoid looking at him.

"Hermione! We have to get breakfast, Emilia will be here in about half an hour"

First she didn't realize what Ron had just said, but then his words slowly entered her brain. She jumped up quickly, her silvery pyjama visible when the blanket slid of her body.

"Oh my god, I am so sorry. I will be downstairs in a few minutes"

"Alright! Coffee or Tea?"

"Coffee – definitely Coffee"

Ron smiled at her and went downstairs to join the others in the kitchen.

"Is she coming?" Mrs. Granger asked, standing in front of the coffee machine and putting in the filter.

"Yes, she will be here in a few minutes", Ron replied and added in a confused voice, "Today is a really special day. The first time I woke up Hermione and not the other way around"

They shared a laugh and everyone was convinced that Ron told the truth. Hermione entered the kitchen two minutes later and sat down at the table next to Harry.  
They didn't say much during breakfast but when the clock showed 4:50 am, they got up and fetched their stuff. They sat down in the living room and waited.  
Soon they heard a vehicle arrive, breaking the silence of the road at night. Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at each other in disbelief.

"Are we really doing this?", Hermione nervously asked.

"I suppose… But we could ask Tonks to oblivate her and just get back to bed", Ron suggested rather ironically.

Hermione gave him a disgusted look, not noticing the sarcasm because of her nervousness.

"Are you coming, or what?", a voice near the door said.

Harry was already carrying his luggage, looking back at them with his eyebrows raised.

"Sure", Hermione replied and stood up too.

Then they heard Emilia's voice echoing through the house. Hermione's parents must have opened the front door.

"Yes mate, after you", Ron said to Harry, when they were all three standing in front of the living room door.

At the entrance door and found Emilia and Mrs. Granger talking eagerly.

"Yes we will be careful, Mrs. Granger, don't worry. No dodgy areas, and slow driving. My parents already told me everything that could go wrong or might happen to us. I am prepared and so are the others", Emilia said to her, blinking at the three friends when she saw them.

She gave everyone a familiar tight hug and helped Harry, Ron and Hermione to put their luggage in the camper. Then they went back to the door, to say goodbye to Hermione's parents.

"Please Hermione, give us a call from time to time, we would be less worried about you four", Mrs. Granger instructed her daughter, tears in her eyes. "I know we didn't spend a lot of time together, but I hope you enjoyed being at home nevertheless".

"Oh Mom, I always love being at home. How often do I have to say that? And it was your idea to ask Emilia by the way", she said, smiling at her parents, clearly touched by her mother's words.

"I know my dear, I know – Well then, safe travels and see you in a few weeks"

Hermione hugged her father and mother and the others said goodbye too.  
Then they walked to the street and climbed in the camper. It took a few minutes before everyone was sitting comfortably and had their belts fastened.

"Excited?", Emilia finally asked.

"Oh yes", all three replied simultaneously.

Emilia turned on the ignition and started to the engine with a wide grin on her face.

"Well then - let's go!"

* * *

Note from the author: Hi everyone! Thanks for reading the third chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for the reviews you wrote :) I tried to format the text similar to other stories here on fanfic. I hope you are excited as I am what our four friends will be doing on their first day of the trip. Then see you in chapter four!


	4. Chapter 4: Perspective

Authors note: First thank you all for the reviews! I didn't expect positive feedback to be honest. English is not my mother tongue and I really try hard to not disappoint native speakers. Also this is my very first writing project so I am glad if I receive feedback.  
Some people doubt that Molly and the Order would let the three go on the trip. I agree! There is a good reason but it will not be revealed yet :P

Somewhere in southern France a white camper was driving on a narrow road meandering along a beautiful coast line. The sun had still not risen and no bird was yet awake to announce the beginning of the day.  
The only thing Emilia could hear was the humming of the engine paired with the sound of the waves. She felt like in a trance, listening to the music of nature and enjoying the wind blowing on her face through the open window.  
At some point she wondered how she drove the last few miles. Did she pay attention to all the street signs? Emilia seriously couldn't tell but was optimistic that her subconscious did everything right.  
Finally they reached their first destination. Turning left, a gravel path was leading to a small camping area that she had seen on the internet. She didn't have trouble finding a parking space, the place was basically deserted. Just one other tent was standing on the opposite side of the space.  
The sea was only a few hundred meters away, but barely visible from the campsite. A wall of high rocks was standing between. On the other side towards the main road, a little hill covered with trees and bushes was protecting against unwanted looks.

Harry, Ron and Hermione were still asleep in the camper. They basically slept during the whole drive. She was hoping that they would at least take care of the rest, like preparing breakfast and making fire.  
After exploring the surroundings for a few minutes, Emilia returned to the vehicle and climbed in the back. The camper was not particularly well equipped. When her friends rented it, they searched for a cheap model that some young adults could afford.  
They had one double sized bed, a small sink and luckily a toilet. She was definitely not looking forward to empty the tanks and was thinking about transferring the task to Ron or Harry.  
Hermione and Harry were lying in bed, while Ron was sleeping in his seat. He had offered to join Emilia in the front. Though it was a nice gesture of him, he clearly had missed the opportunity to get a restful sleep. Harry and Hermione looked deeply relaxed, and they didn't even notice when Emilia decided to join them in bed.  
There wasn't much space left between them when she was lying on the other side of Harry and quite a few moans were hearable when she demanded her piece of the blanket.

* * *

 _Clonk – Clonk - Clonk  
_  
"WAKE UP EVERYONE, BREAKFAST IS READY", Hermione shouted through the camper while hitting a silvery pot with a spoon.

 _Clonk – Clonk – Clonk_

"BLOODY HELL Hermione, stop it", Ron cried from the front.

 _Clonk – Clonk – Clonk  
_  
"HERMIONE! Your noise would wake up squirrels from their hibernation even a few miles away. If it was winter"

Harry and Emilia started laughing at that comment but Hermione just replied,  
"Then stop your winter sleep Mr. Weasley and get up. It's so beautiful out here"

They jumped out of the bed and seat respectively and started to get dressed. Harry couldn't resist to take a quick glance at Emilia before she took on her shirt. His cheeks flushed visibly at the sight of her exposed body. The quick glance turned into a rather long creepy stare. Luckily her back was turned to him.  
Hermione had already prepared scrambled eggs, some bacon and cereals which Ron eyed suspiciously. They sat around the small fire Hermione made for the cooking, and thanked her for breakfast. For a minute they all enjoyed the silence in their camping chairs.

"It's so beautiful here, you can't see the ocean but you can clearly hear it", Harry started the conversation.

"It is, and we are basically alone here, except for the people over there", Hermione added, pointing at the tent.

"Ah, don't worry about them", Ron said smilingly. "I am pretty sure they are some nice blokes. Thank you Emilia for driving all the way here!"

Harry and Hermione thanked her too and when Emilia was finished with her bowl of cereals she said,

"I have something in mind for today. I am not forcing you to join or anything but it was always a dream of mine"

When the others just looked at her curiously but didn't say anything, she continued.  
"You can't see the ocean from here, but when you are on top of rocks, you actually have a pretty nice view over the whole region. I saw some picture on the internet, it looks incredible"

"Emilia, I am pretty sure nobody will be offended by a little hike", Hermine said, smiling at her.

"Well, the problem is, there is no trail"

"Ehh - How do you mean? How are we supposed to get up then?"

"Just use magic, a little levitation charm will do", Ron jokingly interrupted them.

"Don't be silly", Emilia replied. "We climb up!"

"Excuse me?", Hermione squeaked.

"I did take my rock climbing gear with me. The rock is not that steep and high, you can all do it. I will show you the basics and we can climb safely up"

Harry and Ron looked at each other being not sure how to react to her suggestion.  
"Ehhh – are you sure that we are the right people for such kind of adventure?", Harry asked her carefully.

Emilia eyed Harry for a moment, examining his shape. She then reached for his fore and upper arm and squeezed both with her thumb and index finger.

"What are you talking about, you seem to be in a good shape"  
"Well – I don't know. I – but I guess I will be in if you think I can do it. You are the expert", Harry replied shyly, his cheeks reddening again.

"Me too! It will be a lot of fun, won't it?", Ron said confidently, smiling at her.

Hermione shook her head vigorously, muttering something about _boys_ and _hormones._  
Emilia didn't notice her doing that, but then she turned towards her and asked,

"What about you Hermione? Come on, it's going to be fun. I will teach you everything, the route is really easy"

"Sure", Hermione replied shortly clearly not sounding too eager about the climbing. She then stood up quickly and picked up the dishes from the others.

"I will take care of the cleaning", she noted and vanished in the camper.

The remaining three shared a knowing look but only after a few seconds Emilia dared to ask the others,  
"Is Hermione afraid of heights?"

"Yeah I think so, she would never play Quidd – _outsch!_ I mean she would never go flying with us when we asked her", Ron answered a bit too truthfully.

"How do you mean, fly with you?", Emilia wanted to know.

"Oh like a small plane you know, we have a field near our school where you can get your license", Harry lied helping his friend.  
He tried to warn Ron by kicking his leg, which worked but now he had to come up with a fake story.

"That sounds really exciting. I will talk to her, we can do something else. It's no problem for me" With that she rose from her chair and walked towards the vehicle.

"Ron – you have to be careful, she must not find out"

"I know, I am sorry mate. It's hard for me not to talk as usual. You are familiar with being around muggles. I am still a novice"

They shared a good laugh. Harry hoped that Ron would take it seriously though. A little mistake and Emilia would start to ask questions. They knew that sooner or later she would notice something but they wanted to delay that moment as long as possible.

"Are you really that excited about going climbing?", Harry asked his best friend.

"Not really, but I thought that we should let her take the lead a bit. I mean I have no idea what muggles do in their free time, but rock climbing doesn't sound too bad. I mean I prefer brooms of course, but a little workout will not harm I suppose"

"You don't really sound convinced"

"Because I am not. I happily volunteer to put my life at danger for muggle wizard exchange"

"Well not even that, she doesn't know that we can do magic. It is a one sided exchange at least"

They laughed again. Just when they wanted to start talking again, two figures approached them.

"I am sorry that I was a bit – ehm – harsh", Hermione began. "I would be really happy to go climbing with you"

Surprisingly her face matched to her words, not showing any fear or doubt that has been on it a few minutes before. Harry wondered whether Emilia was a witch after all, persuading her that quickly. Maybe she used the Imperius Curse on Hermione to force her. Life sentence in Askaban but went climbing before – worth it!

"What's so funny, Harry?" Hermione asked him suspiciously.

"Nothing, nothing. I am just really happy that you come along"

"Sounds good to me", Emilia said and beaming at them. "Thank you so much, It will be a lot of fun, I promise"

After breakfast they first explored the region a bit. There was actually a short track from the campsite to the water. A small crack between two rocks led to a small cave. One could get in the water there and then swim a few metres to get to the beach. They didn't try it out though, the water was really cold and they wanted to wait until it was warmer.  
As their little exploration came to an end, Emilia started to show the others how to use the climbing gear.

"This is the belaying device", she told Ron who looked at it, clearly not understanding how this little thing should help to belay anything.

"The person on the ground will use it belay his or her partner who will climb. It basically works like a hoist. If the person climbing falls you will be pushed upwards. We should make sure that the partners have about the same weight"

She explained more things, like making the knot who looked like an eight or how lead climbing works. Hermione, Ron and Harry felt more confident after Emilia finished teaching them. At least they understood now how the principles work.

When they reached the starting point of the climbing route their initial calmness quickly turned into fear. Emilia was the first to go. Hermione wore the other climbing harness and belayed her.  
As she reached the top, Harry and Ron awoke from their trance. They had been staring at Emilia the way up.

"Wuhuuu, it's so nice up here! Come on, it is your turn", Emilia exclaimed happily throwing down the equipment to the others.  
The trio didn't respond immediately, uncertainty in their looks. Ron's legs were starting to shiver noticeably and Harry didn't look better. His face was pale and he began scratching his head awkwardly. After a few seconds though, Ron was ready to climb with Hermione belaying him.

After several minutes everyone reached the top of the rock safely. The last one to climb up was Hermione and when she saw the view over the sea, she let out a sigh of relief.

"This view is amazing, Emilia", Hermione said while her eyes were still focused on the horizon.

"I know, we are just a few feet above the ground though. Sometimes a small change in perspective leads to a big change in thoughts". She smiled.

"Wise word have been spoken", Harry commented nonchalantly.

They all laughed about the comment and tried to find comfortable positions to sit. Harry was next to Hermione when she spoke in a whisper to him.

"I wish we could stay here forever"

The boy who lived smiled at her.

"Here? Sitting on a rock, staring at the sea and doing nothing? My arse already has several dents because of the stones beneath it" He chuckled.

"Hmpf, better dents in your arse, than a killing curse in your chest", she replied. Her voice hardly but noticeably shaking.

"Hermione, don't worry about us, we will be fine. We are safe here and will be safe when we return to Hogwarts"

"How can you …"

"What are you guys talking about?" Emilia was standing right behind them, and had obviously tried to overhear their conversation.

"Oh nothing", Harry said. "We were just discussing how truly magical this place is"


	5. Chapter 5: Curiosity

Chapter 5: Curiosity

(Author's Note: This is already chapter five and don't worry, we will see some action soon! I noticed that some people added my story to some Harem (wtf?) community. This is NOT going to happen. There will be romance, but only between two people and no explicit descriptions. Don't forget to review, thank you! :) )

* * *

During lunch the four friends decided to spend the rest of the day at the beach. Instead of taking the route around the rocks standing between the camp site and their destination, they wanted to take the shortcut through the cave that they discovered earlier.

When they made their first steps in the shadows inside the cave, an obvious flaw in the plan was showing.

"Evidently, nobody of us intellectually gifted people thought that there would be any need to bring a torch", Emilia remarked. The trio couldn't see her face in the dark and wasn't sure whether to take this as a joke.

Nevertheless they continued to walk in the shadows, looking for a path towards the water, their steps and voices echoing off the grotty walls.

"I think I found the way", Emilia shouted from the other side of the cave where Harry, Ron and Hermione were standing.

They followed her voice in silence until Harry almost knocked over Emilia. Even with his glasses, he didn't see her standing right in front of him. They stumbled a few steps awkwardly towards the nearest wall.

"Ahhh Harry, bloody hell", Emilia screeched and quickly grasped the sleeve of Harry's shirt to avoid falling down on the cold ground.

He quickly lifted her up again, before she could pull him down with her.

"Sorry Emilia, haven't seen you in the dark. Apparently I need new glasses", the boy apologised.

"No worries", she giggled. "Let's just stay close so that we will not run into each other again. There is a small passage right before us, we have to go through one by one, it's pretty narrow."

Emilia went first and took Harry's hand while squeezing through the passage. He then knew when he could follow and did the same with Hermione behind him.

She turned around and grasped Ron's hand to show him the way. The touch of the hands pacified Hermione's nervousness. She was bit a claustrophobic after all and when she reached the passage, she was happy about the guidance. It felt nice too.

After a few steps they stood before the water cave and couldn't believe their eyes. Stalactites dangled from the rocky ceiling while the floor was perfectly smooth, flattened by thousands of years of erosion. The cave's opening was overshadowed by a rock arch and allowed a beautiful view over the sea.

They were standing on a medium sized ledge, the waves hitting against it below them.

"Wow - this is - wow", was everything Harry managed to get out.

"This is bloody brilliant", Ron called out happily. "Come on, let's get in!"

Suddenly everyone was in a hurry to get rid of their clothes. Ron smirked at Harry, when he watched Hermione and Emilia undressing.

"Seriously, Ronald? Never seen a woman in her bikini?", Hermione said rather teasingly.

"Seen one? Sure. Thrown one in the water? Not yet."

And with that announcement he took a few steps towards Hermione, an evil smile forming on his face.

"AHHH stop Ron - STOP! I swear I will - "

 _SPLASH!_

Ron threw Hermione headfirst into the water and dived after her. Emilia and Harry couldn't suppress their laughter and followed them.

A few seconds later Hermione's head emerged from the surface. She seemed to be a bit confused at first, but then turned her head slowly towards the Weasley. A glow of determination was visible in her eyes.

"Oh, oh" - Ron muttered, anticipating the incoming revenge.

With a quick jump forward, Hermione threw herself on Ron and pressed his head underwater.

She let go of him after a brief moment and he burst through the surface of the water coughing.

"houhhg - uh - uh, oh well, I expected something like that", he uttered, breaving heavily.

"Well, you didn't give me a choice, did you?", Hermione teased and swam over to hug him from behind.

After a while they started to swim through the opening. A beach was visible on the left.

"Let's go over there", Emilia shouted eagerly.

It was a deserted and small beach, which was apparently only accessible via the cave. The four teenagers waded through the water, until finally their feet were touching the fine sand. Dried up bushes and small rocks emerged where the sand faded into the usual ground. Harry, Ron, Emilia and Hermione put their towels near the water and laid down on them.

Hermione thought it had been a good choice to come here, even though she became bored after a few hours. Why didn't she bring a book? Alternating between swimming and sun bathing was not the most exciting thing to do.

At least she could rest a bit, her muscles still ached from the climbing in the morning. Then a very typical thing happened. A short passage from a book she had recently read gradually filled her mind, until she finally realised the full consequences. Her lips formed a huge grin that her friends didn't notice.

* * *

Harry has never been more relaxed in his whole life. Of course he had never done such a trip before, let alone traveled with the Dursleys somewhere. He would always stay at Mrs Figg's house, envious of his fat cousin Dudley who was most likely eating away at the chips and sausages of the hotel buffet.

He also had two extremely rough years. First seeing Cedric getting murdered, Voldemort's comeback and experiencing the cruciatus curse in his forth year. Then the death of Sirius. Hermione, who had survived the curse from Dolohov. His heart clenched in fear. The weeks after getting tortured had been horrible. He hadn't admitted to Ron and Hermione that his bones and muscles still ached painfully during this time. But the fifth year had been far worse for him. He had almost lost a close friend, his best friend. The one friend who had always unconditionally supported him, always believed him when others doubted his words.

Something in his heart had shifted after the incident at the Department of Mysteries. Harry had finally realised the sacrifices Ron and Hermione and a lot of other people around him had made in order to help the Boy Who Lived. He was extremely grateful to spend time with these wonderful people and sweared to do everything to protect them.

He gradually opened his eyes to push his thoughts away, when he saw Hermione in the corner of his eyes. She was walking swiftly towards her towel, a muggle book in her arms.

"Where did you get that?", Harry asked her suspiciously.

"What you exactly mean, Harry?"

"The book. You didn't bring it with you, it would be wet. We had to swim through the cave"

"Don't be silly", she replied nonchalantly. "I couldn't summon it, could I?"

"How did you get the book then?"

"Harry, you really see a conspiracy everywhere you look. Why don't we just lay down and get a bit of a tan? That's what normal people usually do when they are at the beach"

She winked at Harry and approached her towel.

"Since when do you enjoy sun bathing?", Harry asked her incredulously.

"Well I don't consider myself normal, so no I am not enjoying it without a good read"

Harry sighed with a smile on his lips. Apparently he was not able to draw the secret from his adamant friend, but he also knew that she was teasing him.

"And since when do you tease your friends?"

"Oh, we are friends?" Hermione asked with a playful expression on her face.

Harry growled.

* * *

In late late afternoon the four friends reluctantly went back to the campsite. They were starting to get hungry and Ron was bugging everyone around him.

"Could we please start to cook dinner, I am starving"

They were all sitting comfortably in their camping chairs and enjoyed the last sun beams of the beautiful day. Hermione slammed her book shut and glanced furiously at Ron.

"Fine. I will just prepare something. Apparently Molly not only spoiled you but also didn't teach you how to cook."

"I am not spoiled. I just can't sit here with an empty stomach"

Hermione shook her head at that comment and started to walk towards the camper.

"Oh, I will help you, Hermione", Emilia offered with a bright smile.

"That would be really nice of you, thanks." She shot Ron a glare, transmitting the message ' _that's how you treat a friend, you git'._

Harry and Ron remained seated in their camping chairs. After a while Harry had an idea.

"Ron, let's collect some firewood. It would be pretty amazing to have a fire. We can also make up to the girls, we are just relaxing here anyway"

"You are right, mate", Ron honestly replied, even though a tiny bit of reluctance was hearable in his voice.

They got up and walked a few steps towards the nearest trees. In the distance, the tent of the their neighbours was visible. It was standing in the big shadows of the rocks surrounding the camp site.

"Have you seen anyone of our neighbours yet?", Ron asked curiously, his eyes fixed on the place.

"Not really, I think I have heard some sound this morning, but I am not sure"

"Hmm - maybe they are not even here and went somewhere else today"

"Yeah, makes sense. Ron, let's take some branches from the trees over there, they look old and rotten. Should work better for a camping fire."

They walked over to a few isolated trees, that clearly suffered under the hot and dry weather this summer. They picked up some branches enough for a small fire and went back to their chairs. Harry got up again and quickly collected a few stones, that he spread out in a circle on the ground.

"We have to be careful though, we can't use magic to keep the fire inside the stones and everything around us is really dry.", Harry told Ron in a serious voice.

"You should probably take care of the fire Harry, do you remember my dad at the Quidditch World Cup?" Harrys lips tilted upwards instantly. Hermione had to show Mr. Weasley how to properly use matches to ignite the fire.

"Alright, but please keep an eye on it though."

They spent the remaining time talking about magic related things, especially Quidditch, because usually Emilia was around. Then the door of the camper opened slowly and the girls came out with two silvery bowls in their hands.

"Ahh I see you haven't been completely useless", Emilia commented teasingly when she saw the fireplace. "Cliche approved, women preparing food and guys start the fire"

Hermione chuckled. "I am not sure whether Ron could light the fire though"

Now Ron shot Hermione an angry glare, transmitting the message _Stop it, Hermione, that is not fair!_

Emilia looked bewildered first then the turned her head to Ron and asked him in a sceptical voice,

"You are not able to light a fire?"

"Ehmm - sure I am, it's really easy, isn't it?"

Harry and Hermione had both hands clutched on their mouths to suppress their laughter. Hermione definitely has a talent to embarrass people, Harry had to admit to himself.

"Prove it!", Emilia challenged Ron.

Ron's cheeks blushed visibly, a helpless expression on his reddened face.

"Ehm okay, no problem. Harry - eeehm - could you hand me the fire machine?"

Hermione couldn't hold it any longer. Her whole body tremored, when bursts of laughter escaped her mouth. She had trouble keeping herself on the camping chair and nearly landed on the ground. Harry had more success in holding back his laughter. He at least managed to suppress the loudest part of it.

Emilia looked puzzled. "Is this some sort of inside joke I don't understand?"

"Something like that", Harry explained with an apologising expression.

He then went towards the fireplace, snatched the match box and quickly lit the newspaper they put under the branches. It was a pity that they couldn't use the Daily Prophet.

After dinner, Harry and Ron went inside to do the dishes, while it was Hermione's and Emilia's turn to relax in the camping chairs. When the boys were finished, it was already dark outside. Harry could only hear the sound of the sea, mixed with the cracking noises from the fire.

The girls were whispering, and as Ron and Harry approached they abruptly stopped their conversation.

"What were you talking about?", Ron asked nonchalantly. He walked over to his chair and let himself fall in.

"Nothing interesting really", Hermione replied.

"Yeah I can imagine that. Just some gossip about Harry and me I suppose?"

"Don't be silly Ron, I am not Lavender"

Ron didn't seem to be persuaded and muttered something about 'hearing enough of that from Ginny' when Emilia acted.

"Guys, don't fight please. We are supposed to have fun here, remember?"

Everyone grunted approvingly. Harry was relieved that Emilia took care of the two. Sometimes it became really tiring to listen to their arguments.

"Let me get something to ease your minds"

She got off her chair and went towards the camper. After a few seconds she was out again, holding a bottle and empty glasses in her hand.

"This, Ladies and Gentleman, was luckily forgotten by one of my school friends" She pointed at the bottle of liquor.

"I don't claim that to be the most expensive and delicious vodka in France, but I can assure you that it will fulfil its duty nevertheless."

"And its duty is to make us drunk, I suppose?", Hermione asked contemptuously.

"No, no, don't worry. I thought a small drink would help you to relax"

She poured a bit of vodka in two glasses and filled the rest with orange juice.

"Have you ever tried vodka with orange juice? It's actually quite tasty."

"No, but I would like to", Ron said to her in a eager voice. "Mom would never let us have a bit of fire whiskey"

"What is fire whiskey? Another joke about fire I don't understand?"

"Ohh, no - it's whiskey with some other ingredients I can't remember. Mom makes it usually", Ron blushed but his eyes looked relieved. The trio became good at making up excuses.

"Anyway, here take it"

Emilia handed Ron the glass, and hold the other one out to Hermione. She hesitated for moment, but then her hands gripped around the beverage.

"Where is our Hermione and what have you done to her", Harry boldly remarked.

"Oh shut up, Harry! Cheers Ron!"

"Cheers!"

They both took a small sip and looked utterly surprised.

"Well it's not delicious, but way better than I have imagined it", Hermione said.

Another two drinks were made and a few moments later Emila and Harry clinked glasses.

"And now - " an evil grin gradually spread over Emilia's face, "the fun part is about to begin. Let's play 'never have I ever' "

Hermione looked horrified.

"Sorry, I know it would be a lot of fun, but I seriously can't."

Emilia seemed to be disappointed but didn't bother Hermione further.

"Okay, than it's just the three of us". She smirked. "In case you don't know the rules, here they are. A person starts to say something she or he has never done. If you are not so innocent and have done the deed, you must drink. Perfectly simple that game. You got it?"

"Yep", Ron and Harry answered in unison.

They both became a bit nervous when Emilia started with a rather embarrassing question.

"Okay, I start with the most basic one. Never have I ever kissed a girl"

Hermione and Ron smirked and expectantly looked in Harry's direction.

"Don't look so smug! I know I kissed Cho, it is rather hard to forget"

And with that he lifted his glass and took a big gulp.

"Don't drink too much Harry, or we are done after a few questions", Emilia joked.

The game progressed slowly, everyone carefully deliberating on their questions trying to maximise the discomfort of the other players. The boys gradually managed to coax more private things out of Emilia. For instance they found out that she was once almost expelled when she tried to cheat during a major exam in her school.

 _If she knew what we had to go through all these -_

"Hermione? _"_

Her thoughts were jerkily interrupted.

"Hm? Sorry, I was thinking about something."

"Well, I just wanted to let you know that the next question will be highly interesting for you", Emilia had again the evil grin on her face. Harry and Ron growled.

W _hat is she up to now?_

"Never have I ever imagined how Hermione would look like naked"

 _She can't be serious… did she seriously just say that?_

"Ehh - ehh - too much teenage hormones now, don't you think?", Hermione chipped in, her cheeks blushed in embarrassment.

Ron and Harry stole a glance at each other, apparently not knowing how to respond. They didn't want to make Hermione uncomfortable but knew that Emilia had already revealed some of her secrets. Also the consumed alcohol seemed to contribute a decisive factor to their final decision. They raised their glasses slowly awaiting each others reaction then both took a swallow from it.

Hermione wasn't sure whether she liked the response to the question. Of course she wanted to be considered attractive and more than a library bookworm. On the other hand she feared it would introduce a slight discomfort in their friendship.

She tried to shift the thoughts aside and instead think of a witty response.

"I suppose I could name any female and the answer would be the same?"

"Never have I ever imagined how McGonagall, a bloody old teacher at our school, would look like naked", Ron threw in after a few seconds of silence.

The air was filled with laughter and even Hermione was dragged out of her moody state by Ron's joke. She felt the knot in her stomach ease considerably.

Everyone was taken aback when Harry started to lift his arm. The glass was already touching his lips, as he turned towards the others who looked at him in shock.

"Guys, I am joking. Great friends you are, thinking I was even capable of that."

Night had set in hours ago, but the camp fire resisted the darkness as though the flames were fed by deep conversations and honest laughter.


	6. Chapter 6: Enlightening Memories

Here is the next chapter of my story and we will finally see some action! PLEASE REVIEW! I can only improve when someone points out my mistakes. Of course I would probably be more motivated too! Thank you :)

* * *

Chapter 6: Enlightening Memories

Hermione felt pretty uncomfortable when she woke up the next morning. She was snuggling up in bed with the blanket and had a terrible headache.

 _That's how a hangover must feel like._

Then she suddenly remembered what happened last evening.

 _Not only does it feel like a hangover, but I also have one_

Apparently Emilia had not only managed to foist alcohol on her, but also successfully provoked a body's reaction.

 _That evil git!_

She slowly opened her heavy eyelids and gradually her senses became alive.

 _What is that smell and snoring?_

Hermione quickly turned her head and looked at the inside of the camper. A high pitch scream left her lungs and there was some movement on her right side. She was not alone in her bed. This fact wasn't rather surprising, given their cramped accommodation. The exciting fact was WHO lay only a few inches away from her.

 _Oh God, what happened_

"What do you think are you doing here?"

She grabbed his shoulder and shook him vigorously. A weird sensation was emitted from her stomach. Hermione didn't know whether this was actually a feeling or rather another reaction from her body to the alcohol.

"Hmm, what's wrong, lemme sleep…", the boy growled into his pillow.

Hermione didn't consider giving up at this point.

"Bloody hell, STOP that"

Then he suddenly realised that he wasn't woken for breakfast or by his male friend who should be sleeping next to him but by someone who was covered with him under the blanket.

"What in Merlin's name - HERMIONE?"

Ron finally turned his head in Hermione's direction, his eyed wide and his mouth hanging open.

Silence.

"I - I - I don't know how I got here, Hermione, seriously. To be honest, I don't remember a lot from last night. I don't remember anything to be precise. Oh god - mum is going to kill me"

Hermione shot him a furious glance but then tried hard to remember details of what happened after Emilia introduced them to the Russian liquor.

She tried and tried but she wasn't able find the desired memories in her head. She panicked inside but didn't show it to her friend.

"Let's not overreact, should we? I guess you were drunk and didn't know you were supposed to sleep in the tent and just lay down here. Not a big deal, really."

 _Oh God, you are not believing that yourself_

"Yeah, probably. I will just get up then"

He pulled back the blanket, and got to this feet unsteadily.

"Bloody alcohol, never again. How silly were we to let Emilia talk us into it?"

Hermione didn't react to his question. She was sitting cross-legged on the bed and let out a squeak.

"Hermione?"

"Ron, you are - ehm - where are your clothes?", she stuttered distracted by Ron's upper body.

He was standing in front of her in only his boxers.

 _Ohhh no_

Ron gave her a startled look, then he blushed in a deep shade of red.

"Sorry Hermione, sorry, I - I - I always sleep like that, no need to worry. Let's not overreact!?" he said, even though the last sentence resembled more a question than a statement.

Hermione's face colour had been even redder if not for the hangover, but she managed to give a still response.

"Sure! Now get dressed please. We will ask Harry and Emilia what exactly happened"

 _I want to hide in here forever._

* * *

As soon as the door of the camper opened and two knackered figures appeared, a loud clapping was hearable. Harry and Emilia were already sitting outside in their camping chairs and welcomed the two. Both were grinning ear to ear, evidently amused by the way Ron and Hermione looked.

"Here they are", Emilia exclaimed happily when the two approached.

Bewildered looks were exchanged. Then Ron and Hermione sat down on their chairs and looked for water and something to eat.

"What happened?", Hermione asked Harry, who was sitting opposite and was eyeing her suspiciously.

"You don't remember anything, Hermione? I thought you were a bit tipsy, but seems like you actually were hammered. Your personality changes a lot when you are drunk, really interesting if you ask me"

"Ha ha, Potter, very funny. Now tell me, PLEASE"

She blushed again and looked like she just wanted to roll up in her camping chair and disappear forever.

"You remember us playing 'Never have I ever'?", Emilia chipped in.

"Yes, I didn't play with you on purpose. I didn't want to drink much."

Emilia giggled for few seconds, but dropped it when she noticed Hermione's vicious glare.

"Sorry Hermione! Don't worry it wasn't too bad. We just decided to play another childish game"

"And that would be?"

"Spin the bottle _!"_

"Oh no, are you serious? And I joined? I can't imagine that!"

"Like I said", Harry interrupted. "You personality turned 180 degrees"

They sat in silence while Hermione and Ron took some of the breakfast that the others had already prepared.

" _Hopefully it stays in my stomach",_ Ron thought feeling really hung-over. He just couldn't participate in the conversation.

Hermione wanted to avoid the next questions, but she couldn't suppress her curiosity.

"And anything special happened during that game?"

"Yes, one could say that", Emilia responded and exchanged a glance with Harry.

"Spit it out now!"

"First the bottle pointed to you and Ron. So you had to kiss each other"

Hermione's face went paler with every word she heard.

"After that you were a bit lucky or unlucky, depending how you see it, and the bottle pointed to you and Harry"

 _Bloody hell_

"Instead of enjoying the exciting experience kissing Harry Potter, you stood up, took Ron's hand and dragged him away. We thought you would search for a more private place", Harry told her.

If Ron and Hermione thought the situation in the camper had been extremely embarrassing it was nothing compared to how they felt now. Another awkward silence spread over them. Both seemed helplessly overstrained to deal with the situation.

"Well - ", Emilia carefully began speaking. "Did you at least enjoy it?"

Harry snorted with laughter. This morning has been nothing but awkward.

Hermione got to her feet, her mouth twisted in anger and glowered at them.

"Very funny. Could we probably just drop this subject and talk about how we are going to spend our second day?"

"Sure! What do you have in mind?", Emilia responded, obviously trying to calm Hermione.

"Hiking would be fun, wouldn't it? We could follow the coastline and see where it leads us"

"Sounds great to me". Ron finally was able to say something and tried to ease the tension between Hermione and him. He smiled insecurely at her.

"Alright, it's settled then", Emilia announced. "Get your things ready, in 30 minutes we start our adventure!"

* * *

They all started to pack their things. When Hermione was about to sneak her wand in the pocket of her trousers, she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Hey, Hermione"

"Harry, have you already finished packing?"

"Not really, but I wanted to talk to you first"

"Sure. What's on your mind?"

He hesitated for a moment.

"About the You-Ron-Thing - I thought that you would react more positively. Don't you two have something going on since the Yule Ball?"

Hermione let out a big sigh.

"Yes Harry, there has been some thing between us - probably still is - I don't know. I just never imagined I would get drunk and do something like that. I can't tell if I like him _that way._ I can't remember anything either _"_

"I understand and have to apologise Hermione"

"For what?"

"Making fun of you two this morning. I should have been more considerate. Emilia thinks so too, she will say sorry to you later"

"Thank you. Have you and Emilia getting closer?"

"Not that _close,_ Hermione. We just talked for another hour after you left"

Harry already had his hand on the knob, when Hermione spoke again.

"Harry - could you do me favour?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"I need you to come with me to the cave tomorrow morning"

"Why?"

"I will tell you tomorrow, it won't take long. So will you come?"

"Okay alright, just wake me when you want to go. Should I tell the others to join us?"

"Please don't, it's something we can only do when we are alone"

Harry's head had been tilted quizzically during the conversation and now a broad grin gradually spread across his face.

"So you regret not kissing me and want to try it tomorrow? No offence, but I think the romantic setting inside the cave is far from ideal"

Hermione just rolled her eyes but started laughing at the same time.

"Don't worry about that, it will be much more fun"

"Oh now I am excited"

"You should be! And now go and pack your things, the others are probably already waiting"

* * *

The hiking was rather uneventful. They followed the road back to the street they came from and walked around the rocks that surrounded the camp site. From there they went along the coastline.

After roughly two miles, which took about 3 hours, the friends decided to go back.

Not only did the hangover limit their fitness, but also the trail turned out to be quite tedious.

They returned in the late afternoon to the camp site and started immediately to prepare a meal.

Since they had already explored most of the area, they decided to leave the next day around noon and drive onward.

"There are so many places where we can go, so there is no need to stay here for weeks", Emilia assured them when they discussed the matter.

They all agreed with the plan and when they finished eating, it was already getting dark. Harry and Ron again took care of the fire.

Hermione was sitting comfortable in her camping chair, a large book in her hands when Emilia proposed an activity.

"What about another round of 'Never have I ever'?"

Three perplexed faces were suddenly turned at her.

"Guys, I am joking"

And again, another day came to a lovely end.

* * *

"Harry… Harry, wake up", a hushed voice whispered.

Hermione had been entering their tent without a sound and lowered her head to Harry's ear.

"Harry, come on, we have to go"

Little by little Harry's green eyes opened, and darted back at her. After a few seconds he recognised where he was and why Hermione was standing in his tent.

He nodded with his head and Hermione went outside to let him dress.

When Harry left the tent, she was waiting for him with a Hogwarts book in her arms.

"Oh I forgot, we need your wand"

"My what? Hermione, we can't use magic here"

She put a finger to her lips to silence him and searched for something in her pocket. She raised her wand swiftly and whispered

" _Accio_ Harry's wand"

A few seconds later, the desired object landed in her outstretched hand. Harry's mouth was hanging open.

"HERMIONE, what have you done? You will get us all into trouble"

"Funny you say that to me, when in the last five years it has been exactly the other way round. Now come, we don't have much time. I will explain it later"

She was already dragging him along towards the cave, before Harry could open his mouth and utter any objection.

As they reached their destination, Hermione quickly transformed two stones into cushions and summoned a small flame inside a glass bottle she brought along.

"Hermione, seriously, what is going on?", Harry finally asked when he was sitting on one of the cushions.

"Well, first of all I haven't been completely honest with you and I am sorry. I should have told you earlier"

Harry raised his eyebrows questioningly and kept shuffling around in his cushion.

"Two days ago at the beach, I remembered something from a book I have read a long time ago.

In France there is no such thing as control of underage magic. Here the children's parents are fully responsible for their actions."

"You mean we don't have the trace here?"

"Exactly!"

He quickly jumped to his feet and smiled happily.

"That's what you did at the beach! You have summoned the book. And I thought I was hallucinating! Give me my wand Hermione. I have to try something"

Hermione reluctantly handed over his wand.

" _Expecto patronum!"_

A beautiful stag erupted from the tip of his wand, filling the cave with silvery lights as the animal moved around the cave. It first decided to explore the inside and just as it was about to leave through the crack, Harry lowered his arm and the animal faded into silvery dust.

"It's really easy to summon a patronus when you think about the last few days we spent here", Harry whispered, his eyes looking dreamily at the spot where the stag was standing. "I was afraid I couldn't conjure it anymore after the Sirius' death"

Hermione's voice trembled slightly when she spoke.

"Harry…"

"I - I - am fine Hermione, just got a bit emotional, sorry"

She slowly walked over, wrapped her arms around Harry and hold him close.

"I am glad you are enjoying the trip", Hermione said in a hushed voice, the exhaled air causing a tickling sensation on his skin.

"I hope you do too?"

"Of course I do, it's the best summer I have had in my whole life"

"I didn't know Ron was such a good kisser - OUTCH"

"Now that you can joke again, I will tell you why we are here", Hermione chipped in to avoid the unpleasant topic, taking a few steps back from him.

"As you know, I have brought some books from Hogwarts. You also know about my hangover dilemma"

She began pacing up and down the cave deeply in thought.

"And you could understand why I want to remember last night. And NO it's not because of Ron. It's because it feels terrible to have a big hole in your memories"

"I found a charm in one of the books I brought. It's called _lucidus memoriae_ "

"It's usually applied in pensieve construction. That's why saved memories appear so clear and rich of details when you relive them in the device. Anyways, the charm can also be cast the usual way. One has to think about the event, trying as hard as possible to remember it, and then say the spell. It usually works better when a second person casts it, because you can concentrate better on the memory"

"Didn't you say, you don't remember anything?", Harry interrupted her questioningly.

"Yes, that's the research question in our experiment. I know what happened shortly before and afterwards, so I will try to start from there. I hope with the help of _lucidus memoriae_ I can at least vaguely uncover some parts"

She stopped her pacing and the well-known thirst for knowledge was visible in her eyes.

They sat down on the cushions and tried to find a comfortable position. Harry then gave Hermione a minute to replay the last evening in her head.

"Are you sure this will work?", Harry asked. His hands were slightly shaking as he raised his wand and pointed it to Hermione's forehead.

She gave him no acoustic answer but slightly nodded instead. Harry drew a deep breath before he spoke the charm.

" _L_ _ucidus memoriae_ _!_ "

A dim golden light appeared where the tip of his wand touched her skin. It started to form a web of shining light around the head and soon had permeated every curl of her hair.

Suddenly she gasped and pulled her head back in surprise. Harry immediately jumped forward to avert her head from hitting the ground.

Her head was resting on his lap, as she finally opened her eyes.

"Hermione! What happened?", Harry cried out.

She moved her head with a jerk and got up. She shuddered heavily as her mouth opened to speak.

"Harry! We have to go back, fast!"

"What is …"

He couldn't finish his sentence, Hermione was already dragging him through the crack.

"HERMIONE!"

She abruptly came to a halt, turned around and looked at Harry in horror.

"Right after Ron and I left the fire, I saw something in my memories"

It took her a few seconds to regain her composure.

"I saw someone. A - A - person was standing in the dark near the tent"

Harry had a puzzled expression on his face.

"Why would anyone …?"

"HARRY! WE ARE BEING WATCHED!"


	7. Chapter 7: Homenum Revelio

Author's note:  
Hello everyone! :) Here is another (unfortunately short) chapter. Because I received some negative reviews concerning the last chapter. Hermione and Ron were snogging and nothing more. The H/Hr development will be slow, so please be patient!

Please review the story, I would really appreciate it! Thank you :)

Chapter 7: Homenum Revelio

 _If you are not afraid, you have no imagination._

 _-_ Erich Kaestner

Harry and Hermione ran as fast as they could towards the camper. Swirls of dust appeared under their feet where the dry ground was touched as they accelerated their motions. They had to get back as quickly as possible. The group was split, Emilia and Ron still asleep leaving them vulnerable to possible attackers.

Hermione's rapid breathing was accompanied by a anxious tremble of her body. She was shaking with fear and could barely keep the wand in her hand.

" _They can't be in danger, we haven't been away for long time",_ Hermione was anxiously thinking when she was almost in eyeshot of their camp site. Just around the rock and they will finally know.

" _It was probably just a false alarm"_

They sprinted around the stone as if their life depended on it. As if the life of their friends depended on it. Hermione hesitated for a moment before she looked in the direction.

 _Please_

Finally, she moved her view to the camping site.

Nothing.

She looked again.

Nothing.

It was all gone.

She couldn't feel her stomach anymore, the knot in it too heavy to bear. Her feet were rooted to the spot and not a single sound was escaping her lips. Harry abruptly came to a halt next to her, his expression full of worry and fear.

They stood in the very same position for several seconds, neither one of the two brave enough to make the first move. The silence was deafening. Then Harry tried to make a step forward around the rock, exposing him to the danger that lay ahead.

Hermione awakened instantly from her trance and grabbed his arm fiercely.

"Are you mad? Stay here!", she whispered in an alarming voice.

Harry felt too devastated at this moment to free from the grip of Hermione. But he had to go back, he had to make sure his friends were okay. No matter what the person next to him said.

"Hermione, we have to do something"

He was fidgeting heavily, the initial shock gone completely. When he turned his head towards Hermione, his piercing glance showed nothing but determination.

Hermione knew that look, as she had observed it several times over the last years. She had always been impressed by Harry's strong will. His intentions were always pure and driven by the love for his friends, but today she had to interfere in his resoluteness to keep the boy from harm. The grip on Harry's arm didn't loosen but instead was close to cause him physical pain.

"HARRY, we can't! We have to think of something, we need a plan. They vanished, but probably the attackers aren't. I - I think we need - "

"Homenum Revelio." Harry's arm was outstretched and the wand in his hand pointed towards the rock.

Nothing happened.

"We are alone."

Hermione quickly repeated the charm, but came to the same conclusion. Apparently not only their camper vanished, but also the tent of their neighbours. The camp site was deserted with Harry and the Hermione being the last lost two souls wandering through its surroundings.

Again silence spread over them. Desperate words were buried in their lungs and no one dared to excavate the sentences that they both feared to hear. Instead of speaking, their feet simultaneously started to move towards the spot where their belongings had been.

Harry and Hermione found fresh skid marks in the dirt, evidently someone drove the camper back to the road. It took them several minutes to find another piece of evidence.

"HARRY! Come here, quick!", Hermione cried. She was bent over and examined something on the ground. Her initial excitement gradually turned into a worrying facial expression when she picked up a item in front of her. First she rolled it thoughtfully between her fingers then suddenly she was shaking. Her knees began to buckle and a second later she was lying on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Hermione…", was all Harry managed to get out. He was close to follow Hermione's emotional reaction but a soft voice in his head told him to fight his urges. When he stood in front of Hermione and looked at her, he could feel a cold dagger piercing his heart. She was still sobbing, her eyes red from tears and holding a longish object in her hands.

Harry's voice trembled noticeably when he spoke.

"Is this - is this - Ron's wand?"

Another heavy sob escaped her mouth. Then she nodded slightly.

The dagger seemed to have moved from Harry's heart to his guts, slitting everything on its way. He had known something must have happened and now they found evidence. There was no way Ron would leave his wand behind voluntarily. Just like Hermione had calmed him down moments before, it was now his duty to comfort his friend.

He slowly lay down next to her and took her hand into his. It felt surprisingly cold even under the given circumstances and Harry started to move his thumb tenderly over her palm. The sobs seemed to soften at his touch and a few seconds later their fingers were entwined. He didn't pretend to only do that for Hermione, it helped him just as much as her.

"We have to contact your parents as quickly as possible. They could have driven anywhere, we can't search for them alone."

Hermione turned her head towards Harry. Her breathing had steadied and no tears escaped the watery eyes anymore.

"We can't. Harry, we are in the middle of nowhere, I don't have my mobile phone with me. I left it in the camper."

"Then let's go back to the road. We can wait for a car there"

Harry quickly got to his feet and stretched out his hand to Hermione. Her expression softened when she noticed his gesture and she gladly took it. Then they ran towards the street they had arrived a few days ago.

They came to a halt after a few minutes. They were standing in the middle of the road, and had arrived from the left, following the trail from the camp site. On the right they could see a big dense forest. Harry's eyes were fixed on a spot on the right side of the road.

"What is it, Harry? Do you see something?"

"I am not sure, look at the bend in the road there. Can you see the small track that leads in the forest?"

"Yes, what about it?"

"I think there are skid marks"

They quickly moved to the aforementioned track and examined the marks carefully.

"Are you sure that these are from the wheels of our camper?"

"I am not sure, but they look like it"

"Harry, wait for a moment. We have to be careful. There are a few things that are odd", Hermione began to speak. She was pacing up and down, lost in her thoughts.

"First, were they kidnapped by muggles or wizards? We can't rule out the first option, or they could have just disapperated with Ron and Emilia. Then why do they bother and take the camper with them? On the other hand muggles couldn't have disarmed Ron so easily, I reckon"

"Second, why would they drive in the forest here? We don't know what they want, or why they did it but it seems odd to drive on a track that is visible from here. They know someone will search for them."

Harry looked surprised when he heard Hermione's rational words, but he couldn't find answers for her questions.

"Hermione, I don't know. But we must assume the worst, meaning Death Eaters kidnapped them. Probably they want to search the camper for information about the Order and us. We either stay here and wait for a vehicle, which to be honest could take hours, or we follow the track in the forest. I can't stand here doing nothing, so I vote for the latter"

Hermione was close to tears again, her face displaying helplessness and frustration. Her pacing stopped and she took a deep breath.

"Alright, it's the best we have. We must be extremely careful, Harry. It could be a trap"

Harry didn't seem to have fully considered Hermione's last sentence, as he had already began to stride along the path into the forest. Hermione quickly followed and together they walked side by side towards their unknown destination.

* * *

The sun has reached its highest point in the sky and still barely managed to penetrate the dense layers of tree leafs that were shielding the plants from direct sunlight. One could claim that the leafs transformed the sunny weather into a darker and cloudy appearance, that one could not escape when living underneath them. It was the price the inhabitants of the forest had to pay for their protection.

Something similar could be said about Harry's and Hermione's confidence in their plan. When they started following the path into the forest, they had been sure to have decided for the best option. Now as they were walking deeper and deeper into the woods their determination was starting to fade.

They had been walking for about an hour and only slowly progressed. Whenever a sound was audible they quickly hid behind trees or rocks and waited for several minutes. Naturally inside a forest there could be a lot of noises that resembled human movement and after an hour they had already stopped five times because either Harry or Hermione thought they heard someone move.

Their increasing paranoia became unbearable after another half an hour. So when they passed a especially big tree trunk, Hermione pulled Harry to the side.

"You still sure, we are doing the right thing?", Hermione asked in a low voice. She looked tired and restless and her eyes were directed at the ground in front of her. Her hair looked messier than usual and some of her curls were permeated with dirt.

Harry didn't look or feel any better. The exhaustion wasn't visible in his always messy hair but rather in his pose. His eyes were also fixed on the ground, not being brave enough to look into Hermione's eyes and afraid to find looks full of doubt and reproach. The posture of his walking went from a proud strut to a buckled shuffling.

"We can split up. Go back to the street and wait for a car there. I will go deeper into the forest and look for them. At some point the track has to end. Maybe I will find the camper there"

He still couldn't look at her, but if he could he would have seen the hurt expression that was now visible on Hermione's face.

"No! We have to stick together, it would be foolish to split up. See what happened to Emilia and Ron as soon as we left"

The words seemed to rest a lot longer in the air than usual, as if Harry and Hermione needed some time to process what they just heard. Hermione quickly put a hand to her mouth and stared in a shocked expression at him.

"I - I am sorry. I am sure they are alright, I mean, they have to, right? Why would anyone …"

The rest of the sentence got stuck in her throat when a pair of green eyes looked back at her.

"Come on then, we shouldn't waste more time"

He reached for her left hand and Hermione gratefully let him take it as they continued their walk along the track, that was leading them deeper and deeper into the forest.

* * *

Don't forget to review! :)


	8. Chapter 8: The Rational Voice

Chapter 8: The Rational Voice

Harry and Hermione had been following the track until sunset. Not only did they find nothing, but also their physical exhaustion was starting to show. They hadn't eaten and drunk since breakfast and their feet became heavier and heavier with every step they took.

Another problem was that they didn't find any sign or indication when the forest would end and allow them to return to civilisation. Every time a bend was visible, they were sure that after this particular one, they would finally see a path that would lead them out of the forest. It never happened though and the track seemed endless to them.

They even discussed the possibility that it was enchanted to change its direction. Hermione had then used the spell she taught Harry for the Triwizard Tournament which made her wand point north. Apparently they were walking approximately west so they quickly discarded the possibility.

After another promising looking bend, they came to the conclusion to call it a day and find shelter somewhere. They couldn't continue their search in the dark, as it would have been too easy to set up a trap for them. After some rather extensive searching, they found a small spot between two larger rocks that was covered by several branches of nearby trees, making it a decent place to spend the night.

Hermione tried to clean and perform several cushioning charms on the ground. Calling it comfortable would be a straight lie, but it was far better than sleeping on the cold forest leaves. In the meantime Harry was securing the place with several protective enchantments that Hermione had taught him last year.

"You can go to sleep, I will do the first watch", Hermione told Harry, when both were finished with their work. She was already starting to climb on top of one of the rocks to get a better view over the surroundings, when Harry grabbed her by the shoulder and held her back.

"I think there is no need for that", Harry replied, his eyes looking everywhere but at Hermione.

"How do you mean? We have to do it Harry, they could be around here. The protective enchantments will not stop everything"

"I always keep the invisibility cloak with me, so I have it here"

"You are telling me this NOW? We could have hidden under it for the last hours"

"Relax, Hermione. It's not big enough to completely cover two people while walking. But it might be enough when we are lying"

Hermione's cheeks suddenly shifted their colour from pale white to a slight reddish tone. Harry was fidgeting awkwardly from foot to foot.

"You mean, we would need to sleep really close to each other?", asked Hermione.

"Yes I know, it's not ideal. But we have to rest and will most likely find something or someone tomorrow and we can't face them when we only slept for a few hours", said Harry.

"It's not a big deal. We might have played stupid teenager games a few days ago but I think we can handle the situations as adults. We have to. For Ron and Emilia", said Hermione.

It was the first time since this morning that a smile formed on Harry's lips and he was glad to find a more relaxed expression on her face too.

Both knew that they wore thick masks at this moment, only putting them on to support each other, to manage a grin in an apparently desperate situation they found themselves in.

The dreadful day slowly came to an end. They hadn't had time to search for food, not even sure how and where to get it, so they decided to ignore their stomachs and got ready for the provisional bed. Harry even managed to moderately brush his teeth with a cleaning charm he directed at his mouth, while Hermione was creating one of her famous flames between small stones she had picked up from the ground.

"The enchantments should keep the light inside", said Hermione when she noticed the strange look that Harry gave her. "I am not stupid"

"I didn't meant to say that", replied Harry.

"Okay. I will try to transform some leaves into blankets, maybe we can even make it a bit cosy here"

"I highly doubt that, but I appreciate your commitment", said Harry and smiled at her.

The air was filled with unease. Every time they tried to lighten the situation with humour, they were reminded of the events of the morning and immediately felt bad about it. How could they make jokes when Ron and Emilia were in danger. They knew they did everything they could and that they would continue their search the next morning. Still it felt as if it was not enough.

* * *

Hermione did swear when she was transforming the leaves. In the first try, she only managed to get a thin layer of fabric that resembled more a summer dress than an actual blanket.

" _When did this transfiguration become so difficult?",_ she asked herself.

Under normal circumstances it would have been an easy task for Hermione Granger but this evening it took her five attempts until she was content with the result, namely two thick wool blankets that were chequered in Gryffindor colours.

She went to the spot where she casted the cushioning charms and spread out one blanket on the ground. They would cover themselves with the other one and place the invisibility cloak on top with a sticking charm. This way the cloak would always stay on top of them.

Hermione finally sat down, exhausted from the day and crawled under the blanket. She heard Harry approach, but didn't say anything. She had been silently processing the day and wasn't in a talkative mood.

The blanked was slightly lifted and in the next moment he lay next to her. It was impossible for them not to touch each other. The invisibility cloak would have fitted perfectly in their third or fourth year, but now they couldn't lie down on their backs without their shoulders pressing keen against each other.

Hermione had accepted the rather uncomfortable sleeping position and was even slightly happy about the warmth that spread from the point of contact through her body. It felt nice to have Harry close. Just as when she was about to close her eyes, she noticed his body shaking slightly.

She first ignored Harry's body movement, not sure whether she had imagined it, but she could clearly feel a tension in the air. It was one of these moments when she realised that something was wrong with her best friend, when he needed her help.

As their shoulders were already touching, she didn't need to move her arm a lot to find his left hand. Surprised, Harry flinched at the contact, but after a brief moment he entwined his hand with hers.

The gesture had the desired effect and his shaking faded.

They were embraced by the pure silence of the night that was only disturbed by the whisper of the leaves and the sound of their breathing. The dim golden light, that was emitted from the conjured flame, was vainly fighting the surrounding darkness. Hermione couldn't relax in this atmosphere and she knew that Harry must feel that same.

She shifted her sleeping position to the side awkwardly, not having much space under the invisibility cloak and still holding hands with him. She was facing him now and slowly opened her eyes.

She couldn't see much in the dark, but the flame spent just enough light to see his features. Hermione remembered how he looked after Voldemort's return and now his appearance was similar. Pure sadness was written all over his face mixed with guilt, anger and desperation. His green eyes that were shining only a few hours ago were now matt and teary.

When did he open them?

"Hey…", Harry whispered and tilted his head to the side to face Hermione.

"Hi", replied Hermione.

"Did I just catch you looking at me?", asked Harry, his lips forming a smile.

"Ehm, probably yes. I was admiring your beauty, you know."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes", Hermione said, with a grin on her face.

"I can spot your sarcasm my dear. I must look like crap and you…" - he was slowly scanning Hermione's appearance - "don't look any better to be honest… OUTSCH! What was that for?"

Hermione had released his hand, and had hit him playfully on the shoulder.

"You can't say that to a woman, we always look beautiful and not like crap"

Harry was silent for a moment and seemed to be a little bit embarrassed.

Hermione suddenly started to giggle and Harry looked at her with questioning eyes. After several seconds of confusion, he couldn't help and joined in.

Their laughter pierced the darkness and for a moment Hermione was sure that she saw the intensity of her flame increase.

As suddenly as they began laughing, it stopped, the reality hitting them with full force. Harry's shaking started again.

"They are being tortured right now, Hermione. Or they are already dead", Harry whispered.

"Don't say that, we don't know what happened"

She gently put a finger to his lips, silencing him before he could respond.

"I know it's not easy, and I struggle with it every minute, but we must keep our heads clear. We will find out tomorrow, and it won't help to worry all night", she said.

Harry nodded approvingly, but didn't look fully convinced.

"You have always been the missing rational voice in my head, Hermione"

"Have I? Well someone has to do it, or you would have run along the track like a suicidal maniac"

"Come on, now you are exaggerating a bit, don't you think?", Harry replied with a grin on his face.

"No, not really"

Now he was the one, who hit Hermione playfully on the shoulder.

"OUTSCH! Really Harry, you should learn how to treat a lady"

Harry let out a brief laugh and said "Sometimes I have to restrain my rational voice"

"Something a maniac would certainly approve", she replied.

They shared another laugh for several seconds. Hermione couldn't resist to stare at him, his happiness causing a warm feeling in her stomach. If the Boy Who Lived was laughing, the boy who has so much burden on his shoulders, more than anyone else in this world, then how can someone not be happy with him?

Suddenly Hermione's arm was touched by a sweaty patch of skin, and before she could even react, Harry took her hand again into his.

"It helps me, I hope you don't mind", Harry whispered.

"Not at all. Because I am your rational voice, I must not feel emotions", she replied.

"Oh really? So you don't feel anything at the moment?", Harry asked with a mischievous grin.

"No, just a sweaty hand that is touching mine", she replied.

"What about this then?"

He started to rub her palm tenderly with his thumb in a circular motion.

Hermione couldn't deny to herself that his action had an effect on her. It took her a lot of willpower to resist doing the same to his hand but she managed to ignore the temptation.

"Now you are smearing the dirt on your thumb all over my hand. Thank you very much!", she teased him.

His thump stopped the motion and he moved his arm instead. He led their entwined hands to her body. Starting at her thigh and ending at her waist, he stroked her side with the back of his hand.

It sent a noticeable shiver through Hermione, that encouraged Harry to repeat his teasing several times.

"What about now?", he asked her in a whisper.

"Nothing. You apparently only touched some nerves, which triggered a physiological response of my body. You will not win this game, Potter", she replied in a slightly trembling voice.

Her pulse was definitely faster than five minutes before and something deep down in her stomach wished that he would continue with this stupid game they were playing.

"Okay, I reckon you are indeed a soulless and indifferent person"

 _Damn_

"Now you get it", Hermione whispered in such a low voice that she wasn't sure whether Harry had even heard her.

To her surprise, he kept their hands on her waist. The heat of his body easily penetrated the thin layer of fabric of her top. She felt comfortable, more than comfortable actually, and she had the impression that this moment they just shared, stretched the boundary between friendship and more, to its limit.

Hermione shook her head vigorously at the thoughts that entered her head. Your best friend has his hand on your waist to comfort you, nothing more. Don't be pathetic.

"What are you thinking about?", Harry asked her suddenly, waking her from the reverie.

"It's nothing", Hermione replied and she hoped that the darkness covered her blushed cheeks.

"Sorry", he said and moved his arm back to its original position, as if he had read her mind.

They were silent again.

After a while the void that had left his hand on her skin was unbearable.

" _What is wrong with me?",_ Hermione asked herself. Why did she enjoy this so much?

" _It's a bit of cuddling, nothing more, you are just exhausted from the day and enjoy a bit of company_ "

With this conclusion she was about to call it a day and close her eyes but her brain had other ideas.

" _Did he just flirt with me? What a preposterous thought! Who wants to flirt with me anyway? Bushy hair, book worm and below average genetics. Stop thinking! You are supposed to sleep. But maybe there is small probability that… SHUT UP!_ "

Before she became aware what she was doing, she had already stretched out her arm and cuddled up close to Harry's body. She could feel his warm breath on her neck, as she rested her head on his shoulder. Her heart was pounding heavily in her chest and she was certain that Harry could feel her heartbeat.

"I knew it, you are not…", Harry started to whisper in his ear.

"Shut up!"

And then finally, between two exceptionally strong heartbeats, they found the courage to do what had been on their minds for the last minutes. As their lips met, a sensation awakened inside Hermione that had been buried for a long time.

The kiss slowly intensified and soon their tongues were battling against each other. She felt his hands on her back, moving gently over her smooth skin and sending shivers through her body.

Their lips parted for a moment, and they opened their eyes. They grinned widely at each other and before Hermione could utter a word, Harry had already leaned in and silenced her once again. 

* * *

Author's Note: If you think it's unrealistic that they kiss in such a situation, I have to agree. Why did I write it anyway? Find out in the next chapter :)


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